Usual Dosage
by Kisho Myst
Summary: In Auldrant, Fomicry isn't used to replicate humans, it's used to create them. Asch only wished for a brother to keep away the lonliness of noble life, but when Luke showed up at their door, he got more then he bargained for.
1. Fomicry

**Fomicry **

* * *

"I think he is just lonely…" Duke Fabre shook his head at the information one of the maids was trying to tell him. His son was acting so strangely because he was lonely?

"A little brother or sister wouldn't hurt." The Duke scowled without answering the curious maid. She was speaking out of place and he truly wasn't in the mood. His son, Luke, had insisted he wasn't Luke anymore, but Asch. The change of name also came with a change in behavior, which went remained unexplained, even by Baticul's greatest physicians.

He quickly dismissed the maid, who was replaced by the Lady's physician. Today was a scheduled routine check-up

He had grown reclusive, and fiercely independent. Asch would lash out, and proclaim that he was alone, and would like to remain that way. His new mannerisms had even managed to fill Natalia, the King's daughter with concern.

Lady Fabre would have none of it though. She was sicker by the day, and the news of her son's behavior only broke her weak heart more. She longed for a big family, but shortly after Asch's birth, she was unable to bear another, and sometime the Duke could hear her crying about how it was her fault.

"It's my fault he is alone, isn't it?" The Lady let a tear slip, but her position to her husband's left hid her sadness from him. She wanted nothing more then her son's happiness, but her fragile health had left her unable, and although deep down she knew it wasn't her fault, she still wished she could just give her son a brother or sister.

"No dear." The Duke responded, rather angry with the events that composed his morning. "It's not our fault, but the doctor's will figure out what has caused this change, I'm sure of it."

The Lady nodded sadly, before following the physician into her chambers for her check-up. The throne room wasn't far, but the walk left her out of breath, which only deepened the frown the doctor had worn from his arrival.

* * *

Asch paced around his small room, the small seven year old appearing much older then he let on.

He was incredibly intelligent for his age, which his parent's slightly attributed to his anger, but they didn't understand what truly made him angry.

The young Fabre, who could find an explanation for everything, couldn't explain the way his dreams made him feel.

"Why is there another me out there? Why is he out there!" Asch threw himself down onto his bed, tangling his hands in the unmade comforter. His lumpy sheets hadn't been made in awhile, since he had holed himself up in his room. His parent's had told him dreams really didn't mean anything, but the way the other him would play with him until morning, and how he could sometimes still hear his voice after he had awoke still bothered him.

"Either I'm going crazy, or you are out there somewhere…" Asch would never admit, but his insistence on calling himself Asch had sparked from his doppelganger in his dreams. The look-a-like had told him a story once about the light of the sacred flame, and how the ashes of his glory were where the true power laid. He had taken the name, because he thought that maybe if he gave his friend something of his, he would come to see him when he was awake, but the look-a-like always told him there was something he needed to do before it would be possible.

"But what did he say about Fomicry? What is Fomicry?" The young Asch cursed his ignorance, a rare occurrence. He had never heard of what his companion exclaimed as the only way to ever meet him in the real world. He had also said he wouldn't be the same, but Asch didn't care. He wanted to see the one who looked like him in real life, because perhaps it would hide how lonely he really was.

There was always Natalia, but she was a princess, and had many duties to attend to, even at her young age. Asch hadn't truly made any real friends, being the son of the Duke. He wasn't supposed to fraternize with the servants, but the other nobles didn't have kids his own age. They were all quite boring as well, Asch reminded himself. At least his look-a-like would play games with him, games Asch liked, and he would talk about anything, anything Asch wanted.

He would have to ask his parent's about this Fomicry once the physician left, perhaps they would know something about it…

* * *

"Have you ever considered Fomicry, sir?" The Duke's brow furrowed at the mention of the science, but couldn't think of an outburst appropriate to properly display his distaste for the subject.

"I don't believe you have the position to suggest something of that nature." Duke Fabre had known the name of this servant at one time, but the news of his wife's declining health had truly scattered his thoughts. "Besides, that science has been used by certain companied for very ill reputable practices."

The servant bowed, and offered his apologies.

"I know you may not wish to hear it sir, but I know of a company. They created a younger brother for me and my mother after my father passed away. His caretaker also helped lessen the burden of my father's death; my brother took quite a blow to my family's finances."

The Duke knew that Fomicry could be disgusting, he had heard the reports of poorly made products and inept caretakers robbing families and causing rampage, but he had never heard of this company the servant spoke of.

"I'll discuss our options with my wife, but thank you, you are dismissed."

Duke Fabre hoped with all of his might that Asch wouldn't dive so low that they must turn to Fomicry, but the option was still in the back of his mind. "A custom made human being… Who would have guessed we would even consider this, ha."

The Lady was standing in the side door to the throne room, listening to her husband as he spoke with the servant. She wanted another child, more then anything, and Asch would defiantly appreciate someone to play with, someone his age…

"We should discuss it with Asch." Lady Fabre calmly stated as she took her seat next to her husband. "I too desire another child, but I can't have one."

"It's dishonorable though! It's like picking out a toy at a shop, and then waiting for it to be delivered. Do they even age?" The Duke was angry with his wife's calm outlook towards Fomicry, but she was right. It seemed like all Asch and her wanted was another child, and Fomicry was the only way.

"But think about it!" She exclaimed. Her desire for another child was ever growing, alongside Asch's detestable behavior change. "No one would have to know he was created using Fomicry, and you know that we can't adopt. The King wouldn't object, he knows how I yearn for another child too."

"I still think it is a bad idea. I believe we should let Luke decide. We are only in this situation because of him anyway." The Duke tried to hide to obvious annoyance at the complication's his son was causing, but everyone in the manor was aware of how the Duke was taking his son's change. Even young Asch himself was aware of his father's displeasure, but to the young boy, the boy who haunted his dreams and caused him to doubt his intelligence was more important.

"You mean Asch." The Lady corrected coolly. She herself was annoyed as well, but not with her son. Her husband's stubborn pride was what was eating away at her.

"We named him Luke, you know that. He is Luke no matter what he calls himself." The Duke frowned before summoning a servant to retrieve his son. "I still can't believe we are even considering this..."

The Lady only audibly sighed. She knew that Fomicry wasn't as disrespectful as they said it was, it just mattered what company the child was created from. There were many out there abusing the technology of the Malkuth Colonel, ravaging families for their money, or creating war machines, but without proper care, one of the created human's could easily malfunction.

As much as the Lady wished to believe it was just like adopting a child, she couldn't help but remember the cold eyes and the metallic voice a pre-made model drew her attention with. The way his appearance begged to be adopted, but the cruel treatment of his kind dictated that he would forever live alone.

Most models are customized to order, and put through strict obedience and personality programs, and the thought made the Lady's stomach turn.

'I'll never forget the sadness on that model's face…' The door to the throne room, the Duke's audience chamber with a fancy title, opened slightly and the blood red hair of her son poked through. 'Perhaps… I want another child… to spare my son the pain I saw on that model's face…'

At the mention of Fomicry, Asch's eyes instantly widened. He nodded his head furiously, wearing the first smile the Lady had seen in ages.

'And perhaps… when my sons grow older… they can prevent that kind of pain from existing…'

No more broken models… no more flawed programming… The Lady smiled and returned the hug her son had given her. The Duke said he would speak with his brother-in-law later that day about the possibility of acquiring a child through Fomicry, and if everything went well… there would be a new child in the manor within two months.

* * *

**A/N: **It's going to be very confusing, this is a mystery story. So keep in mind that here in Auldrant, there aren't replicas, but created human beings that companies create and sell for profit. It's very important to remember that they are created, and thus very different then you and me.

review! I've been working on an original story and I got this story while I was writing nd decided to try and get it out. Oh well. Let me know if I should continue or not!


	2. Used

**Used **

* * *

Two months.

It takes two months for the creation process to both start and end.

Two months is a long time to a seven year-old, waiting patiently for his brother.

The Lady hid her anxiety as well. They had been evaluated for the proper programming their new child would receive, and she hadn't been happy with the evaluation.

"I don't want a stuffy noble son!" Asch watched as his mother was arguing with the young boy who was taking notes on their behavior and daily life. The Duke was visiting the King; he hated the thought of everything that was happening because of the boy they had paid a hefty fine for. Their new son had come with a shiny price tag, and the Duke scowled at many other things such money could have been spent on.

Little Asch sat by his mother's side, though it didn't help his discomfort. The green haired boy was obviously a created being, just like his brother would be, but his mannerisms were something above the child's comprehension.

"Mr. Ion, instead of matching him to us, can we just tell you what we want?" The Lady ran a hand through her son's hair, but Asch didn't pull away as he usually would have.

'Is she scared of him?' Asch watched as Ion frowned, and ripped the page off of his notepad. 'He doesn't look scary, he looks friendly actually…' There was a thin collar around Ion's neck, with two tags. One had his name in curvy silver letters, and the other was his identification for the company he worked at.

The prestigious Order was well known for their excellent Fomicry, and their flawless creations, yet they all still came with a caretaker, as all created humans did. Asch wondered where Ion's caretaker was; no one had accompanied him into the manor.

"It's alright Lady Fabre; this is a very sensitive matter. Tell me, what do you want your new son to be like?" Ion adjusted his white robes and stretched his legs. The childlike appearance of Ion often worked to his advantage in calming frayed nerves, which is why he was called to work on high-profile orders. His smile was genuine, and his voice was innocent, but Asch could see that it was just the way he was programmed.

The Lady let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding, and turned to her son. "He is your brother Asch, please, go ahead."

Ion smiled at the youth, and turned his attention to the fidgeting Asch. The matchmaker, as Ion was called, could easily tell that Asch's personality was as fiery as his hair. "Well first, Master Asch, what shall we call your new brother?"

Without hesitating Asch responded, much to his mother's surprise.

"Luke. His name is Luke."

* * *

Ion bowed deeply to the noble mother and son, before departing the manor. Asch even waved goodbye to the matchmaker as he disappeared into the sea of Baticul's inhabitants, although Asch hardly ever showed such kindness to strangers.

The green-haired boy flipped through his notes with a small smile.

'_I want him just like me!'_ Asch had exclaimed. _'I want him to like the games I like, and be just as smart as I am!'_ The red-headed boy had described himself in great detail for Ion, but still he frowned.

"This is gonna be a hard job. What program will we fit him with?" Ion flipped through his pages of Asch's personality and wishes for his brother. Creating a child to replace a departed loved-one was the most common use of Fomicry, but Ion couldn't help but remember what the Colonel had told him before this mission.

"_Fomicry was never meant to be used on humans Ion. It was used to replicate food sources during the great famine, to lessen the blow. It's why you have animal appendages that real human's don't. We can try our hardest, but no replacement will ever be perfect."_

Jade Curtiss, the inventor of Fomicry, had abandoned the practice after its unethical use in the creation of human beings. He was known to be very close to Malkuth's emperor, and some say that he abandoned Fomicry by personal request. The Emperor wasn't too fond of the Imposters, but he never showed prejudice against them, they never asked to be created, but they knew no different.

Fomicry would have been outlawed, Ion reminded himself, had it not been for the increase of monsters and the dangerous miasma they dwelled in. Created humans; Imposters as some called them; were able to withstand the miasma where humans couldn't. The use of Imposters as employees was strictly regulated to keep from exploiting their place in life, and Ion was grateful he was working within the Order, that had created him.

Ion frowned when he passed a used Imposter dealer. Many of the models were staring blankly out the window, possibly ordered to pretend they didn't exist. Ion knew he was different then those, as one of the only custom models to not display his flaws as outwardly as they used models. Many of them had various animal ears adorning the tops of their heads; some were even cursed with the addition of a tail. Imposter's that didn't properly serve their birthing purposes could always be return, and the thought made Ion shiver.

A familiar young girl was waving furiously from the shop entrance. Ion sighed, placing his small notepad into the pocket of his robes, and strolled to meet the excited child.

"Hey Ion! Did you get the info?" Cheery Anise entered the Imposter dealer with Ion in tow, like they did for every new order. "You think we can find one that looks close enough? Or will he have to be a custom order?" Ion shrugged, thinking about the various options they could take with this new order.

Many of the Impostors watched Ion enter with a spark of recognition. Even if they were as near-perfect as he was, they can always tell each other apart from humans, as useless of a skill as it was. Anise had selected a young stock model to play with while Ion attended business, and the green-haired Imposter couldn't help but smile.

The owner of the store smiled warmly and welcomed the ambassador from such a well-respected company. The Order was well known among dealers and customers alike, as was Ion. Although the Order didn't personally sell their stock models, they did take care of all training and personally development, as well as the assignment of a caretaker. Anise was Ion's caretaker, a strong spirited young girl whose family worked within the Order, although it is rumored that they are in debt up to their eyes. Ion, being a custom model, had escaped sales but circumstances he had never been informed of, but his life was comfortable, and he enjoyed it as it was.

"I'm looking for a red-haired model; do you have any of the NGH-119, or NGH-219 series we could take back with us for retraining?" A few of the Impostors stirred at the mention of retraining, as it was instilled within each of them from the moment of their creation that it was a fate much worse then death. Ion knew how they felt, and his heart ached with every Impostor he had the duty of informing that they must accompany him back to Daath.

The dealer smiled and pulled out a tome of all available used Impostors, quickly flipping the pages to search for the model number while Ion glanced around the shop. It was at least three stories, perhaps more; he hadn't truly paid attention when he walked in. There were around 20 pristine boy and girl models scattered around the showroom, no doubt a majority of them were custom models.

"Where are all of the caretakers? You know there is a strict minimum of one caretaker to five models." Ion shot the dealer an accusing glance, before he continued his search for the humans assigned and paid by the Order to provide care for the Impostors.

"Ah… I'm pretty sure they are upstairs dealing with a new arrival, I have 20 on staff here, and five of them are available to answer the Order's call for local caretakers. We don't carry any other model's here, only Order models." The dealer tapped the tome to catch Ion attention, pointing at the available listings for the models he requested.

"Are there any will green eyes?" Ion glanced at all of the photos for the two model numbers; none of them looked even remotely similar to Asch. "I need one with red hair and green eyes, do any models you have available fit this description?"

The dealer frowned and flipped through the tome. Many of the pages were blank, as time goes on, series will become obsolete and they are no longer produced. "Here!" He excitedly lifted to book for Ion's inspection, the Imposter's eyes widening.

"He is perfect! What is his model number?" Ion cautiously grabbed the tome from the dealer and read the notes the shopkeeper had made. "What kind of… condition has befallen him?"

The dealer frowned, and pulled out the sales records. "When I bought him off a traveler, he said he found him in the middle of a miasma stream. He had his identification tags, but it appears as if all of his programming has been erased, some sort of trauma. I bought him thinking that maybe one of the caretakers I have on staff could fix him, you know? We've barely taught him how to walk here."

Ion nodded, it wasn't uncommon for neglectful parents to purchase an Imposter, and then abandon it if the child hadn't lived up to it's expectations. It was uncommon for an Imposter to be abused, or injured to the point where their minds would blank as this model's had. "How strange… That I've found a child almost identical to the one I'm searching for… and he is damaged." Ion frowned before indicating that he was interested. Matchmakers like him were the only ones qualified to make a purchase from a dealer of Imposters, and they were the only ones who could commission another model's creation.

The only new model dealer was located in Daath itself, and Ion wasn't convinced that they would find a red haired seven year-old model with green eyes among any of the newer models. Ion wouldn't dare stray into another company's territory as well, the Order's high price, high quality models made for unbeatable competition, as well as the hatred of the lesser companies. Fomicry was a hard science to master, and the Order had come the closest, keeping their Imposters almost entirely human.

Any other Imposter, from any other company, ended up being kept more as pets then as family members. They were more evident in the slums, where a parent would customize their Imposter to steal to help support the family, which is why many cities required proper ID tags to enter portions of, or entire districts.

"Anise, let's go see this model, perhaps we can take him with us." The dark-haired girl huffed, before saying goodbye to the small Imposter. She quickly returned to Ion's side as they ascended the stairs and into a private bedroom, aside from the bunks the other Imposter's shared.

Inside the small room was a bed, with a nondescript lump shifting under the bland sheets. Ion instantly recognized the same fiery red hair Asch had sported, with the same emerald eyes that peeked out from under the sheets.

Ion smiled happily towards the youth, who sat upright in his bed. There was the same recognition in his eyes; _another Imposter had come to visit him!_ The green-haired Imposter was relieved by his identification, and set himself down on the edge of the little boy's bed. Ion reached out and brushed the bangs out of Luke's face.

"What is his model number?" Anise asked, unable to tell from his physical features alone.

"He is a custom model, detailed down to the very length of his hair, really." The dealer cautiously flipped over the blank tag on the boy's collar, revealing a very rare model number.

"DNF 000? I'm amazed that a model this intricate would have been abandoned!" Ion jumped slightly when the small boy grabbed his hand, and squeezed his fingers experimentally. Both of his tiny hands were effectively distracting him from Ion's examination of his blank tag.

"He was never named, at least it wasn't made official with the Order. What have you been calling him?" Anise could tell Ion was bothered by the mistreatment of other Imposters, although not all of them were as gifted as he was. His concern for the small boy wasn't easily hid, with the way he allowed the boy to attempt to gnaw on his hand.

"I've been calling him little boy, I know it isn't appropriate, but almost every single one of these models will be reprogrammed, and what I call them won't truly matter. I've often wanted to adopt them all myself, but the expenses of such a feat would drive even the King bankrupt!" The dealer chuckled lightly to himself, but Ion didn't seem too fazed.

"We will take him. He is perfect." Ion stood up from the bed, accidentally knocking the small boy over. Ion paid no attention to the little boy's clumsiness, but when he didn't push himself back up, he grew concerned.

The dealer sighed, and apologized for the Imposters behavior.

"A side effect of whatever trauma he has received is that… he will occasionally blank out. I'm not sure if reprogramming can fix that issue or not, it normally only lasts a few seconds and he snaps back."

Ion only frowned, and pulled out the gald given to him by the Fabre family to pay for the rather defective Imposter.

"I'm sure they will love him all the same." Anise piped up, laying her head next to the small boy's. When the Imposters eyes came back into focus, he jumped slightly, but then settled down.

'_I hope so…'_ Ion cried out, following the man downstairs to complete the necessary paperwork.

* * *

"Are you sure bringing him to see Asch before his reprogramming is a good idea?" Anise was trying hard to keep in step with her Imposter charge, but he was a bit taller then her, with boundless endurance.

Ion hitched the Imposter on his back up a little higher; he had long since fallen back asleep. The paperwork had taken long, but Anise had been through this business deal many times before. "If he reacts negatively, I'm sure I can explain to him what's happening. He was very understanding of my person earlier today."

The White Knight guarding the door to the Fabre mansion allowed them entry, into the entrance hall only. It was mid afternoon, and no one was waiting for their arrival in the throne room as they had been earlier.

The Imposter, whom Ion and Anise had taken to calling Luke, began to stir on Ion's back. The door to the courtyard creaked slightly, and a second mop of red hair poked though.

Ion's breath hitched in his throat when he noticed that Asch hadn't responded to Luke's sudden arrival.

"Asch…" Ion said lightly, to calm the young noble, but he was too interested in the curious glint that Luke's eyes had taken when he spotted someone who looked similar to him.

Luke's mind wasn't telling him this boy was another Imposter, but instead, was telling him something very different.

"Luke?" Asch took a step forward, oblivious to his mother's entrance into the hall. "Are you here… for real?"

* * *

**A/N: **How will Asch react!!! I don't know!! Well, yes I do. Haha, remember to review! If someone can guess Luke's original owner, I'll give them something fantastic:D :D 


	3. Home

**Home**

Ion frowned when Luke made no move to answer Asch. If he were a betting person, he would bet that Luke had no idea what all was going on around him.

"How come he can't answer?" Asch made a move to rush towards the infantile Luke, but his mother grabbed his shoulder and restrained him.

Ion sighed, and gently shook his small charge off his back. Asch shrugged off his mother's firm grip and raced forward to support the teetering look-a-like. Ion assisted the young noble in the steadying of the Imposter, but Luke seemed more interested in Asch then the older boy who carried him here.

Lady Fabre quietly pushed open the doors to the audience chamber, and motioned for Ion to follow. Ion whispered for Anise to watch over the Imposter and his new brother, before disappearing behind the large double doors.

"How come… he acts like… he isn't as old as he looks? I thought you said two months as well! It's hardly been four hours!" Lady Fabre huffed, settling herself into her husband's chair. Her son had just begun to calm down from the excitement, and now Ion had dumped an obviously flawed Imposter in her entrance hall.

Ion sighed, noticing that the chair he had taken his notes in hadn't been moved since his departure. He took his seat, stretching his legs from the vast amount of standing he had been doing in the past four hours.

"He is a custom model, of the DFN 000 series. He had a previous… owner… and for some reason he was abandoned around the time he suffered substantial trauma to the head. There aren't any physical wounds left… But I'll have to take him back with me for reprogramming, he has no knowledge whatsoever, of anything for that matter." Ion reached into his robes and pulled out the gald he had saved the Fabre family (though he doubted they truly needed it) by purchasing a used model. Lady Fabre declined to accept the remaining money, attempting to lighten the mood with a joke about how skinny he and his caretaker looked.

"You can fix him… right?" Lady Fabre broke the silence, although it's blanket of discomfort still covered the two.

Ion then produced Luke's certificate of creation, and the change of ownership documents. "The Order was the place he was born and raised originally, I'm sure that even though he has matured some, the process will be successful, there is nothing to erase since he is a blank canvas as it stands."

The Lady accepted the ownership papers, much like adoption papers, and nodded her approval to Luke's retraining.

"We had better get going then; I have to report back to Daath soon. Would like to say your goodbyes to your future son?" Ion stood, and held open the door to the audience chamber for the Lady.

Asch hardly noticed the reemergence of his mother and Ion; he was too enthralled by the way the mirror image of himself had meekly tangled the sun-kissed ends of his long hair with Asch's blood red mane. Anise sat behind the small boy, making sure he didn't topple over, although she also preoccupied herself with playing with Luke's bright red hair.

"How did someone who looks like me already exist?" Asch asked nervously, glancing at the tag that hung around Luke's neck.

Ion frowned, afraid of what the real answer may be. "I'm sure that someone may have seen you one day, and decided that you were so handsome, they wanted an Imposter who looked just like you." _Someone out there created this custom model for a reason, but the names… all of them are just blank…_

"So how come he can't understand what I'm sayin'?" Asch gently unwound his hair from his doppelganger's, and stood to face the much older Imposter standing a crossed the room. "How come he is here now too? Can he stay? Or do you have to take him away?!"

Ion thought carefully about what she should tell the small boy, and what to leave out until he was older. Lady Fabre stepped forward and eased the burden from the Imposter, much to Asch's displeasure.

"He has to go away for awhile, something bad happened to him before Ion found him, and now he has to return to his birthplace. When he comes back, he will be able to play all the games you like, and talk about all the things you like to talk about, he will be just like you wanted Asch!"

The young noble took a step back, obviously unhappy with the response they had provided for him. "Can't he stay?"

It was Ion's turn to be shocked. Anise stood up, making sure to clasp Luke's hand in her own to prevent him from tumbling down.

To both her and Ion's surprise, Luke gently tugged free, and padded towards the one he was so interested in. Asch gently grabbed a hold of his brother's shoulders to steady him.

"Anise… Are there any regulations dictating that we must reprogram him?" Ion watched the display of affection between the two strangers. They were connected by their appearance only, and it was adequate to forge a strong enough bond.

Asch had just met his brother, for the first time, and he didn't want him to go away, and for them to erase all of the memories he had of their first encounter.

"It's not recommended, but in the rare cases of total reformatting, most Impostors' don't take well to reprogramming. It might be better to let him learn, that way he can retain his early memories with Asch." Ion scrunched his eyebrows together in thought. The chances of him leading a normal life, aside from his disposition as an Imposter were indeed higher, but also the risks were high. His behavior wouldn't be warranted by The Order, and the reoccurring thought of what Luke could have done to deserve the abuse he received before being recovered still weighed heavy in Ion's mind.

Anise reached into her pocket and revealed her pocket watch. She flipped it open and glanced at the time, trying her hardest to hide the shock.

"We have to make a decision Ion- and soon. It's going to be dark…" Anise snapped the watched closed and looked up to meet the distracted gaze of her Impostor partner.

"Asch?" Lady Fabre called out to her wavering son. The Impostor behind him peeked curiously over his shoulder at the three pairs of eyes all focused on the two red-headed twins. "We won't be ready to accept him for two months, unless you are willing to share what you have."

"Are you gonna hurt him?" Asch knew he couldn't argue that they simply weren't ready to accept another child into the family, but still, he was well taken care of, and sharing what he had surely wouldn't pose much of a problem.

"I told you bringing him here early wouldn't end well…" Anise muttered, taking a careful step forward towards the isolated pair. Asch glanced at her, but his interest lied with the answer to his question.

"It won't be… terrible…" Ion knew he was lying, but the pain of the electric current was forgotten shortly thereafter, as were all the memories of the Impostor. "He won't remember the pain, but unfortunately, he won't remember anything before that moment. We will never have a chance of discovering what his previous life was like."

Asch gave his mother the most desperate look he could muster, hoping to win her over in their argument.

"I want him to remember me! I want him to remember this as the first moment we met, not when he arrives after they take all of this away from him!" Asch stomped his foot, accidentally knocking Luke backwards from his hiding place.

The fragile Imposter whimpered and tried to call out for Asch's attention, but Ion's shocked expression was enough to catch the noble's notice. With a precision Asch wasn't aware he was able to muster, he swung around and gripped his twin's wrist, effectively steadying him, but something was amiss with Luke.

Ion grimaced, rushing over to assist the fallen Impostor. "I don't doubt your concern for your new brother, but I am concerned for his well-being. He was abused Asch, and the extent of that damage is unknown."

"Please…" Asch whispered, brushing the sun kissed hair out the blank green eyes of his twin. "Please let him stay here with us… I don't want him to think he is just an Impostor… Just my brother…"

Ion didn't believe the lines of his inner turmoil could be more apparent, his deep frowning and wrinkled brow would surely show for days as he mulled over what he was about to do.

"If I agree, and I let him stay with you, you have to promise me you won't expect more of him then he can give you. He isn't like you, and he can never be like you." Ion allowed his façade of concentration to slip when Luke returned for wherever his mind disappeared to. The child, although he appeared to be perfect, with no visible Impostor distinctions, reminded Ion greatly of himself, but even this perfection had it flaws.

"If he starts to remember, we might have to send him away for awhile, are you alright with that?" Ion helped the oblivious Impostor to his feet, and Asch was there in an instant to support his brother. Asch's eyes were glowing with excitement, he had gotten his brother two months early and he could keep him! Of course he knew Luke wasn't a plaything, but still, the ability to order a human being still slightly disturbed him, he only accepted the idea because he knew Luke would be happy here, he would never hurt him.

"Will he fit in around the house? Once he starts to learn a little more, I mean." Lady Fabre had moved closer to inspect her new son, his delicate yet clumsy hands reaching out to feel the texture of her dress. "It's like having a newborn baby!"

Lady Fabre's maternal instincts kicked in and she reached down to gather the much fussed over child into her arms. Luke smiled, but his inability to vocalize like the others around him seemed to distress him.

Asch glanced over to Anise, who was furiously filling out paperwork on a small end table. She had a small notebook open as well, occasionally scribbling something after finishing a sheet or two.

"Asch, if you will, please come over here with me and Anise. We would like to have a word with you before we go." Ion had moved to stand next to his caretaker, but offered no aid in her burden of paperwork. He only smiled at her grumbles of annoyance and waiting for the noble boy to join him.

"What is it Ion?" Asch tried to remain polite, but he found his vision kept slipping to the two tags Ion had around the leather collar, compared to the blank lone tag Luke had.

Ion noticed his curiosity, but didn't comment, sparing the boy the embarrassment. "Because you don't want your new brother to be reprogrammed, he is the exact same as a new baby in the house, do you understand?"

Asch didn't understand why Ion was reminding him of her new brother's child-like mentality, but he nodded anyway.

"He will mature very quickly, like all Impostors' do. It only takes two months from birth to reach the age he is at now, only with a different frame of mind. You don't have to raise him as an Impostor, he can be as human as you wish, but you can never remove his tags, and outside of the manor, he can not be as he is here."

Asch, although he prided himself on his intelligence, didn't understand Ion's latest sentiments.

"An Impostor can never be the same as you or Anise- don't forget that. Luke will always try his hardest to please you and your family, as will his caretaker. You can disguise him as you like, but please, for his sake, never try and deny what he truly is."

The voice of the Luke Asch only found in his dreams rung in his ears, but looking around, Asch couldn't tell if anyone else could hear it too.

"_What am I Asch? Am I what you wanted?"_

Lady Fabre was busy untangling her new son's hair to notice how his body had gone slightly rigid.

Only Asch saw how his emerald eyes flashed a warm gold, before he returned to his carefree and childish ways.

_It's really you then… Luke. You really came…_

"He is Luke, Impostor or not... He is my brother now!"_  
_  
Ion smiled and stood up, his final evaluation of the young boy complete.


	4. Connections

**Connections**

**A/N: **I wrote a bunch of chapters for this story, but I don't want to post them right away, I'm not sure if there is enough intrest in this story for me to keep going, so please all of you hundreds of readers already, leave me a review and let me know what you think? If you guys aren't interested, I'm not that interested. D:

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"Yulia, I have a question." Ion sat alone in his room, back at The Order in Daath. His eyes were unfocused, facing his window. He spoke to no one, but still he carried on the conversation.

On the other side of The Order, aside from the employee residences, was the office of the CEO, Yulia Jue. Her eyes were unfocused, staring down to the paperwork she had no desire to fill out.

"Go on Ion." Yulia was silently grateful she had locked her door earlier; she would hate to have to break the connection to Ion in case someone came looking for her.

"I saw something strange today, in Baticul." Ion said slowly, trying to recall every detail of his encounter with the Impostor and his new brother.

"Really? Tell me about it Ion." Yulia smiled. She loved hearing about Ion's escapades in Auldrant, Mohs kept her confined within to Order to protect her safety, as the Order was responsible for the downfall of many criminal users of Fomicry.

"I went to see the noble family, the Fabre's, and afterwards I went to browse the selection of returned Impostors. I found one, who could have passed for the noble's son; Asch is what he calls himself now." Forgotten on the side table of Ion's bedroom was the notebook with Asch's behavioral and desired characteristics. Luke would return with him to Daath, and something within him couldn't force the boy. He couldn't even answer to Anise as to why he believed it was a good idea to introduce them before returning in the first place.

"That is strange, but not uncommon. Did you check his identification papers? Who was his commissioner?" Yulia wondered who would commission an Impostor to look like the noble child, especially considering what they were mostly used for. Some are servants, Yulia reminded herself, and couldn't be happier. But others become reminders of those that have passed away, and will fill the role gladly. What good would a model of a noble boy serve?

"They are blank, his copy is at least. Anise and I don't have the authorization to check the master records. But that isn't all." Ion felt a slight disturbance in Yulia's end of their connection, but it was quickly overcome with vigor when Ion mentioned the blank identification.

"What is it, Ion?" Something was bothering Ion about his latest case, Yulia could feel it through their connection.

"The Impostor that I purchased yesterday, Luke is his name; He was totally reformatted and abandoned. There are signs of physical abuse as well as lingering mental damage." Ion regretted leaving Luke to develop at the Fabre household, but a caretaker had already received his briefing on the child, and would depart in the morning for Baticul. "The question I had… Was it right for me to leave him with his new family, even in his condition?"

Yulia didn't answer right away, but instead chose to mull over what must have been running through Ion's head at the time. "Well first, tell me why you left him?" Yulia was still conflicted over what she would have done in the situation, so she hoped that perhaps she could distract Ion long enough to come to a decision.

"I took him to see his future brother. Luke was so helpless; he wasn't even allowed to wander around the dealership on his own, because he could hardly walk. Occasionally, his mind blanks as well, like he dies inside for a minute, before returning. I wanted to do something nice for him I guess." Ion watched the lamps flip on outside, signaling the end of the day. Yulia would be off work now, but with the tightening security surrounding Yulia and the new stock model series, she would be confined to her residential and business wing.

"Did Luke… suffer any trauma? Any signs of lingering pain, or wounds near his skull?" Even with the belief that Impostors weren't human, she had never heard of a case of physical abuse so severe. Impostors memories were different then humans, even though they were essentially the same thing. Their memories can be viewed, and all are examined before a reprogramming will take effect. Criminal charges and heavy sentences can be filled if any sort of miscreant behavior is discovered, but with the successful reformatting of Luke's memories, his attacker had saved himself and rid himself of the evidence.

"The dealer spoke of head trauma, but it has all healed. He doesn't show pain, but he really couldn't express it. He was able to recognize me as a fellow Impostor though, his manner changed when I came to inspect him. He also recognized that his brother was identical to him, although I doubt he understood why." Ion reached out and clicked on his side lamp, before falling limp once more. The dim light coming from his lamp was enough to cause a slight glace on his window, and disguise the activity in the Order's courtyard.

"I would have done the same as you Ion. He obviously has known a lot of pain, and even if he wouldn't remember it, I don't think I could subject him to more. If his memories ever come back, we can also possibly identify the attacker and issue a warrant for his arrest. Did you speak to his brother about Luke's nature?" Yulia heard the ruffle of the guards changing at the entrance to her prison of a wing, although it was hardly enough to distract her from Ion. The lamps on her desk automatically switched on, bringing light to the room once more.

"I did. I told him that no matter how hard he wished it, Luke would never be like him or Anise, Luke and I aren't the same as them. If Luke grows up believing he is a natural human, the discovery of his true nature could cause a system crash, which is irreversible, even with reprogramming."

"But don't ever forget how close you are. How many distinctions did Luke display?" Yulia had grabbed a scrap piece of paper and pencil, and as she spoke with Ion, she was unconsciously taking notes to review later. The case of this abandoned model was far too interesting, compared to the model specifications for a re-release of the kitten series, CRK 213, Yulia's first major success.

"None, no outward distinctions, but I'm sure there must be something, he could be like me and just be incredibly lucky about its placement. His tag though, aside from his model number, it's blank."

"Is he a stock model? They are sent to dealers with blank tags, for engraving upon purchasing." Yulia was growing uncomfortable with the fact that she had to speak out loud for Ion to hear her, as obviously the case of this Impostor was more delicate then she believed.

"A custom model, part of the DFN 000 series as well." Ion belonged to the DFN 100 series, and there were very few of his series. He could only imagine how rare a model with Luke's distinct number was.

"This is very strange Ion… I think we should speak more in private about this, I may be alone here but you may not. We should speak with the Colonel, if he will have us, he is very dedicated to his military life now." Yulia smiled, remembering the Colonel used to dedicate to his research. He was younger then, and so was she, and they had long since went their separate ways.

"I haven't seen the Colonel since my original programming… He is the reason you and I can communicate, right?" When Ion had been infantile like Luke, it had been the Colonel who personally trained the custom model, before departing back to Malkuth. He had given Ion this gift, the ability to speak with Yulia whenever he desired, but never explained why he had done so.

"Yes, it was a gift for both you and I, since I am now confined in here. You have become my world now, Ion; I can't see the outside except through reinforced glass window panes. I'll sneak you into the wing soon though, so we can talk more about Luke, alright? I'll contact you later." Yulia knew that with the use of her fonic artes, she could easily sneak Ion in and out, but Mohs would defiantly find out if she used any of her hymns. Even though he was one of her advisors (and he did hold a position of power in The Order), Yulia really didn't care too much for the man.

"Alright, I'll be waiting… but if you can get me and Anise access to the master records beforehand, I would greatly appreciate that." Ion could feel Yulia's smile through their connection, before she completely closed it off. Ion yawned, stretching himself out of the limp position he always fell into during the long conservations he had with Yulia.

_I should go find Anise and tell her the news._ Ion mused to himself. Anise had been Ion's caretaker since the day the Colonel returned to Malkuth, she had been traveling with him for some time before their return to the order, or so she explained to him. Anise would never reveal in full detail why she had been with the Colonel before Ion's birth, but the Impostor never questioned her, it was out of his nature.

The employed Impostor quarters were roomy, almost identical to the caretaker quarters, with few minor differences. At The Order, there was no difference between Impostor and natural born humans, aside from their needs, but once they stepped outside of this haven, the world became a much different place, and Ion would almost grow homesick when he was away because of it. His dual ID tags did give him leeway, as he was an esteemed Impostor, but others, especially non-Order models, were banned from many cities due to their instabilities and animalistic nature.

Ion could wander the halls of the Order with his eyes closed and end up where he wished to be, aside from the restricted areas, where only a select few had permission to roam. He effortlessly found his way to Anise's room, and knocked twice (their not so secret code) before entering.

Anise was calming staring out the window, still dressed in her formal caretaker attire. "I just got back from debriefing. I am so hungry Ion!"

Ion knew something was amiss; Anise was reluctant to discuss how the meeting with Luke's new caretaker had gone.

"Are you gonna tell me?" Ion settled on Anise's bed, but Anise refused to face him. "Did somethin' bad happen?" The green-haired youth cursed the fact the he wasn't allowed to accompany his caretaker into her debriefings, but he had his own meetings Anise couldn't attend.

"His name is Guy… They are dispatching him tonight to arrive early in the morning tomorrow. I told him about Luke's condition." Ion wondered why it was such a big deal that Guy was being dispatched a day early, but figured that Anise was hiding something from him.

"Something could be very wrong with Luke, Ion. If Guy can't stop those blackouts, Luke could crash, permanently." Anise took a deep breath, but still managed to put on a smile on after discovering the severity of Luke's abuse. "We did the right thing Ion; the stress from reprogramming would have killed him, no doubt."

"We saved his life then, and Yulia says she will get us access to the master records. We'll figure out who did this to him, I'm positive." Anise nodded, and shooed Ion from the room so she could change. Ion felt his own stomach protest his hunger, and waited patiently in the hallway for his caretaker.

Although Ion knew he hardly needed a caretaker now, he was glad Anise was always with him. He had seen Impostor's both older and younger then him suffer the side effects of Fomicry. Their unnatural growth patterns as well as rapid mental development could lead to all sorts of problems, the inescapable need for a someone well versed in solving those problems as well.

"It's not natural for a human to grow from infant to adolescent in two months, isn't it?" Ion laughed darkly to himself, leaning against the wall next to his caretaker's room. "I guess that's why we aren't human."

Ion felt Yulia open the connection with Ion, but there was an unexplainable pain in Ion's head as well. He wasn't sure if it was because the lack of sleep he had gotten the past few nights, or it was going to be the first time to put Anise's caretaker training to use, but with each passing second, the pain grew more intense.

"Ion? Ion! Are you alright? Hey!" Yulia called out, but to no avail. She quickly raced over to the door that locked her into her prison, hastily trying to pry the door open, but Mohs had made sure she couldn't leave without proper protection, and her efforts were fruitless.

Ion gripped his head, slowly sinking to his knees. "Yulia? My head… it hurts…" Ion wished he could just close his eyes and fade away from the pain, but something was forcing him to stay awake, to endure the pain.

"Where is Anise?! Get to the medical ward!" Yulia pounded her fist against the solid barrier between her and freedom, but it still did not give way. Mohs believed her safety was more important then her own happiness in situations, but no matter how she strived to be free, she was stuck.

The door to Anise's room swung open, and the caretaker was instantly made aware of the situation.

"Ion!" Anise instantly fell to her knees next to her Impostor charge, recognizing the signs of an information contraction. "It's just IC, it will go away in a few minutes, okay?"

The pain continued to grow, but Ion was starting to see something other then the creamy off-white walls that decorated the living quarters. Another appeared, slowly pulling his way out of the painted walls.

"Luke!" Ion called out to the boy neither Anise nor Yulia were aware of, but as the connection remained open, Yulia would be able to hear everything that transpired between the two. Anise glanced over to the blank space on the wall, and back to her suffering Impostor.

"There isn't anything there Ion, how bad does the IC hurt? Should we go to the Med Ward?"

The apparition of Luke smiled at Ion, her eyes briefly flashing gold. His smile widened as the pain Ion felt quickly melted away, as well as the mysterious red-haired boy.

Ion stood up and glanced around for any signs of the strange little Impostor, but he was gone as was the pain in his head. "Where did Luke go?"

"He was never there Ion, is the IC over with?" Anise grabbed her partner's wrist and felt for his pulse. "Whatever just happened completely eliminated all signs of the IC, like it just… vanished."

"Oh, Yulia! I'm sorry about what just happened. You too Anise, I could have swore I saw Luke though. He smiled and suddenly… the pain was just gone…" Ion frowned, massaging the side of his face with his free hand. "What did you need Yulia?"

Yulia gave a sigh of relief, and tried to gracefully lift herself from the ground. She was leaning unceremoniously against the heavy door, waiting for Ion's coherent response, but now she was a little embarrassed that she had gotten that emotional over a simple IC.

"I got you two access into the records department tomorrow, remember to report back if you find anything, alright?" Yulia walked over to her and set heavily in the leather chair. She removed her necklace, and with it the key that dangled off the golden chain, employing it to open a forgotten drawer on the bottom of her work desk.

"Thank you! We will let you know what we find! Goodnight Yulia!" Ion smiled and closed the connection, knowing it was dangerous to be talking to Yulia where others could hear, or assume he was crazy for talking to someone that wasn't present. He smiled at his good fortune, and allowed Anise to drag them down to the kitchen.

Yulia allowed her forehead to rest against the smooth surface of her desk, her eyes staring blankly into the open drawer. A small tear began to form in Yulia's eye as she gazed at the contents of her secret locked drawer.

"Impostors… Can never replace a human being…" Yulia removed the photo she kept locked up. It was a younger version of herself, with her arm around a young boy with green hair, the only two in the picture. "Some days… I miss you so much… Brother…"

Yulia produced another photo, a more recent picture of her and Jade, laughing alongside a toddler with the same green hair as the previous picture.

"Ion…"

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A/N: Leave me reviews! Remember that! I'll accept anything, and I'm going to start replying soon enough, my e-mail isn't recieveing things at the speed I would like it too so by the time I know there is a new review, its already been a few days as I discovered with my original works.

Send me speculation since I already have a good bit of the story written out:D I love to hear what people think is going to happen compared to what I've already written, and I'll let you know if you get anything right! I promise!


	5. Familar Faces

**Familar Faces**

**A/N:** This and the next chapter are not two of my favorite. I think my favorite is the one before this, but they are important, no matter how forced they sound, hopefully some people are starting to unravel the mystery :D

P.S. I'm not getting any e-mails to my e-mail address, none at all from so if i replied to one of your reviews, and you replied back, I'm not going to get it. Probably not for a very long time until fixed the problem, I sent them an e-mail and have yet to get a response there too

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Guy's arrival into the Fabre house could not have been more appreciated. The Duke was glad he wouldn't have to admit that in the one day Luke had been among them, his own son was happier and more youth (aside from, the Duke reminded himself, how Asch tried to act way too mature way too hard), and Luke brought a youthful and energetic vibe with him wherever he roamed. 

Lady Fabre also felt like she had been given a new lease on life, the exercise and constant laughs her two sons provided her with in that one short day had been the talk of the manor, the buzz of good news still humming with Guy's arrival. King Ingobert was even spotted joining the family for afternoon tea, after the news of his sister's new son reached his castle.

Young Luke hadn't understood the customs of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, although he appeared seven, it was obvious that he was far from acting seven. The Impostor greatly enjoyed the colorful dress robes the King had worn, and instantly set forth to examine them closer. Asch winced when Luke's hands picked up the hem of King Ingobert's robes, but instead of being reprimanded, the King only laughed at Luke's innocence.

The visit of the King was still a source of great entertainment for the manor's staff, and an upbeat note for Guy's arrival. In the blonde's pocket were Luke's new tags, as it was customary for a new caretaker to personally engrave the new tags. The bond between a caretaker and an Impostor was very important, as a caretaker was the only reason an Impostor could live, and Impostor's lived for their caretakers.

The white knight left Guy in the entrance hall while he called for the noble family to report to the audience hall. There was the unmistakable laughter of his new charge coming from outside, as he no doubt attempted to avoid capture. Anise had told him everything she could to prepare him for this unusual case he was assigned to, but still he felt like nothing could prepare him for Luke's unnatural ailments.

The door to the audience chamber opened, and a servant beckoned Guy in, a faint flash of red hair caught his eye as it ducked behind the Lady's throne.

"Welcome Caretaker of the Order." The Duke's voice was gruff, no doubt unhappy to be thrown into this situation. "We welcome you into our home."

Lady Fabre smiled and nodded, but sighed when her sons were not where she left them.

"Have you seen Asch and Luke?" Suzanne looked carefully around the audience hall, before the flash of Luke's sun kissed hair to her left caught her eyes.

Guy was infinitely curious about the behavior of the noble children; it appeared to him that Asch was, for some reason, insistent on continuing his games with Luke, even though the child's walking ability was something to be desired.

_It is as if… he fears Luke isn't here to stay…_

"Asch! Now is not time for playing!" The Duke was obviously growing uncomfortable with the situation, and hoped that it would end soon, so he could speak with Guy in private and return to his own schedule.

The noble child with his blood red hair groaned in defeat, and emerged from behind his mother's throne, Impostor in tow. He muttered an apology to his father and unloaded Luke to his mother, before turning to face the caretaker.

"Hello." Asch said innocently, smiling slightly in Guy's direction.

"Hello Asch. My name is Guy." Guy bowed, which was customary towards nobles, before straightening up and producing Luke's new tag from his pocket. "I won't be long, I promise- once I give Luke his new tags, you can resume your games."

"Okay… Guy." Asch retreated to his mother's side, but Suzanne had already stood to deliver her son to his caretaker. Once she handed him over for his ID, the adoption would be complete, and Luke would truly become a member of the Fabre family.

Luke didn't struggle against the stranger as the Duke feared he would, though he didn't truly understand much about Impostors and their behaviors, other then a brush he had with an ID-less model, instilling within him his distaste for Luke's kind.

Guy kneeled down once Suzanne had delivered to him his new partner, and set Luke down upon the soft carpeting. The child watched curiously as Guy removed his current tag, the blank and plain one he had been found with, and replaced it with Luke's new ID.

"Luke fon Fabre, model number DFN 000, I am Guy Cecil, your new caretaker." Guy watched Luke carefully as the boy struggled to remember what to do, but he wasn't expecting the proper response. Obvious signs of some sort of recognition were apparent in Luke's soft green eyes, but the child was unable to uncover his memories after what Anise told him had happened, and for that, Guy knew he must worked harder then he had ever worked before.

But something was nagging in the back of Guy's mind, that he had seen this Impostor before. The memory of his family's death was hazy, just as the face of the War Machine that had been ordered to carry it out was. But something Guy couldn't forget was the cruel laughter that accompanied the Impostor's torment- the man that forced the child to kill was laughing while Guy's family ceased to exist.

Guy was brought back by Luke reaching upwards, alternating curling his fingers and straightening them, until Guy got to hint and picked up the fragile youth. Suzanne cooed how adorable her new son looked with his golden tag, and Asch was begging to go back outside with his brother… only the Duke was unfazed with Luke's moment of acceptance into the family. Suzanne collected her son from Guy, before excusing herself and Asch from the audience chamber.

"Do you have your Order identification?" The Duke flatly asked, it was hardly a question, more of a bored statement, but Guy knew that not everyone was accepting people like him, whose lives were dedicated to Fomicry.

"Of course Sir, I also brought Luke's model design so that I may help him regain his memories." Guy bowed his head as a sign of respect, but the Duke still appeared off, as he examined the papers Guy produced.

"So you are a swordsman? What made you desire to become a caretaker, for Luke nonetheless?" The Duke returned Guy's papers, and lifted himself from his chair. He seemed rather interested in a portrait on the wall of the audience chamber, a baby portrait of young Asch, back when he was still Luke.

"I was a swordsman a long time ago, then something terrible happened, and I've joined the Order to prevent it from happening again."

"_You must shed your old name in the event the murderer returns, your old position in life, your family, none of them belong to you anymore… got it? I'll do my best to keep you safe, but you have to try as well." Guy removed every outward bit of his previous life that he could, into a safe in the office he was standing in. The door slammed shut, and a comforting hand landed on his heavy shoulder._

"_Thank you… Yulia…" The woman behind Guy smiled, before pulling the boy into a hug. _

"_My brother was lost as well then… wasn't he?"_

The Duke mulled over something, his eyes still fixed on the portraits adoring the walls, before calling a servant. "Take Guy to his room, I'm sure he has responsibilities to attend to." And with that, Duke Fabre left the audience chamber, leaving Guy alone with the servant.

His appointed room wasn't too small; it was a double room, although he would occupy it alone. He could hear Asch's laughter, as well as Suzanne's cries to be cautious with Luke through the open window in the middle of the outside facing wall, and set to unpacking his things.

Still, Guy couldn't understand why the memory of his family's murder was resurfacing itself now, with only Luke's innocence as a trigger. Guy gave up on unpacking and decided instead to go and find his new charge.

After many failed attempts at finding the courtyard, Guy finally made it (although he was rather embarrassed it was right next door). Suzanne nodded to him in greeting, with he returned with a slight bow, before examining the location he would undoubtedly be spending a great deal of time.

"You can't use him to protect you Luke! That's not how you play tag!" Asch emerged from one of the gardens, after chasing his brother from its confines.

Luke only yawned in response, before sitting down on the ground and looking upwards at the taller people around him.

Lady Fabre laughed softly from her position on a nearby bench. Her doctor had told her yesterday that the fresh air was good for her, but the stress of a child needing constant attention like Luke wasn't.

"Is he done playing?" Guy questioned, watching Luke intently to try and access what portions of his memory had been spared.

"Yeah, Luke has a lot of energy, but it doesn't last for long." Asch settled himself on the ground next to his brother; he had earned the Impostor's attention at the mention of his name.

"But he is learning at least, I can gather he knows his name now?" Guy felt strange standing while Luke and Asch regarded him from the ground, so he joined them.

"He knows he is Luke, and I am Asch, and he knows mom and dad. He still won't speak though, he hasn't even tried really." Asch didn't seem bothered when Luke laid his head on his brother's shoulder, and made no motion to remove it.

"He also knows you are family." Guy stated, amused that Luke showed no embarrassment for his affection.

"Yeah…" Asch agreed idly. "How old are ya Guy? You don't look much older then me and Luke!"

Guy knew he was young, but Anise was younger, which made him a bit better about his age. "I'm eleven."

"You are quite young." Suzanne commented from her distant position. "How did you come about joining the Order?"

Luckily for Guy, who didn't desire to explain his past again, Luke seemed to sense his discomfort and cried out for his attention. "I apologize Lady, but I almost forgot what I came out here for! I have to complete a preliminary inspection of Luke's well-being so we have grounds to improve upon."

"It's quite alright Guy, you may take him inside." Suzanne called for Asch to come join her for a walk in the gardens, since Luke could be busy for some time.

As the red-head and his mother disappeared, Guy collected the content Luke in his arms and headed back inside the manor. He asked a servant to direct him to a room where he could complete Luke's first real examination, as Guy doubted any caretaker at a dealership would have completed a documented assessment.

"_Be careful with Luke, okay Guy?" Anise seemed particularly worried about Luke's condition when she handed over her observational paperwork. "Something is defiantly still wrong with him, even though his physical wounds may have closed…"_

Guy wished he had looked over her report more thoroughly, but now wasn't the time to be regretting past actions. Instead, he deposited Luke onto the coffee table of what appeared to be a sitting room, and started to prepare his medical supplies.

"You know Luke… You remind me of my family." Guy spoke to the child, even though he knew he couldn't understand. He pulled out the blank examination report, and briefly scanned over what tasks needed to be completed.

"Heart rate… Blood pressure… Reflexes… And I'll need to find your distinctions. This won't be so bad, now will it Luke?" Luke smiled, obviously enjoying it when he received attention.

Guy decided to start with reflexes, before Luke started to get antsy and he couldn't accurately get the measures he needed. Luke watched with intense curiosity, and Guy couldn't help but laugh at the Impostor's awe when his lower leg would kick out, from the small tap Guy gave him.

Guy felt awkward because of his young age, but he knew he must complete the inspection. His heart went out to Anise, who was much younger then her Impostor's physical appearance, although he couldn't have existed for any longer then two years. "Do you have any idea where your distinction is?" Guy combed through the top of Luke's hair for any signs of under developed ears, and checked his back for signs of a tail, but Luke's elusive mark was nowhere to be found.

"Even Ion had a mark, now where in the world could yours be?" Guy remembered that in some, although rare cases a mark can appear on the skin, and perhaps Luke's was hiding somewhere on his skin. But upon closer inspection of Luke's arms and legs, there was still no sign of only distinctive mark separating Luke from any other human.

"I'll just leave that space blank for now." Guy helped Luke stand up, making a note on the examine sheet about how unnaturally light Luke was, like a feather.

"I think in about two days of trying we can have you as mobile as Asch, and maybe we can get you talking a bit by then too? It doesn't hurt to try!" Luke smiled at the mention of his brother, but he still showed no signs of complete comprehension.

Guy brushed some of the strange golden tips of Luke's hair out of his face, checking for one final time for any signs of abuse along his hairline. A small white scar, from a shallow cut, was all that remained from whatever Luke had been subjected to in his previous life. The Impostor's green eyes shine with inquisitiveness when Guy stepped back to examine the boy once more before retuning him to the courtyard.

There was a flash of something inside of Guy's mind, something stirred within him when he looked into those innocent pools of emerald.

_"Guy Cecil, I accept you as my caretaker, and I vow to live for you and my family."_

Guy could hear a voice that was strangely similar to Asch's, but it was different at the same time- softer, less used. His first instinct was that Luke had spoken to him, had accepted Guys position as caretaker… but it wasn't possible.

"Luke…?" Guy noticed that the young boy's eyes were no longer green, but a warm orange, but as quickly as he had noticed it, it was gone.

The Impostor was asking for Guy's attention once more, silently announcing his desire to be carried instead of walking.

Guy tried to talk himself out what he had just seen and heard, blaming it on the overnight voyage he had taken to reach Baticul, but still, even as he carried the boy back out into the courtyard, he couldn't shake the feeling that Luke's memory loss just might have been intentional.

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**A/N:** Not the best, we can do better. Let's try harder two chapters from now, okay? SEND ME YOUR LOVE!!! 


	6. Remember Me

**Remember Me **

**A/N:** I've never taken the time to actually thank my reviewers, I just reprimanded them and now I feel bad D:  
So please forgive me for being such a cold hearted bitch D: I just started birth control, and I'm feeling rather reclusive for some reason, as well as kinda messed up, interior hurts... lol.**  
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* * *

Guy would have been shocked if Luke was anything other then an Impostor, after the incredible feats he was able to overcome, in _such a short time!_ Guy reminded himself.

In two days, he was walking, running, jumping- everything Asch could do, and he continued to learn simply by watching. Guy had been unable to determine the cause of Luke's occasional immediate energy dives, but after witnessing one of his infamous blackouts, he began to wonder if maybe there was a connection, if maybe the longer he went on without stopping to rest, the more he was setting himself up for the strange occurrence Guy had dubbed 'blacking out."

Guy didn't quite understand how that could possibly be the correct answer, as everyday Luke seemed to be able to push himself further, until he would just stop, without offering any explanation. He would sit and watch the others around him, never crying out for attention as he often did when left alone for too long.

This led to another of Guy's amazing observations of the young boy. He had mastered basic English commands the evening of Guy's arrival, after some intense tutoring following dinners (while Asch was attending to his studies, which remained the only time the two were separate.) And the following two days, alongside regaining his mobility, he had been able to mimic and process more complex thoughts and statements.

"Luke wants to give this to Guy!" The newest member of the Fabre family offered Guy a purple flower he had graciously picked for his blond caretaker, with a grin.

Guy smiled in return to Luke, accepting the gift from the child.

"Why thank you Luke!"

But then, there was that habit Luke had developed. After he delivered a gift, he always followed with one question, and it drove Guy crazy.

"Does it please Guy?" Luke still wore his heart-warming smile, unaware at the discomfort that those words instilled within his family members, but most importantly, Guy.

"Of course it pleases me, but why do you wish to please me so?" Guy tucked the purple flower into his belt, noticing the weight of the multicolored pebbles and other oddities Luke had gathered to deliver to Guy.

Asch also had a growing piles of interesting objects Luke collected for him, alongside his mother's pile of pretty flowers and pebbles, each time he bestowed them with a gift, he always asked them the same thing.

_Does it please you?_

Guy may have been a new caretaker, but he was positive it wasn't normal behavior. He reminded himself though, that Luke was no normal Impostor, and the way he had heard his voice when Luke couldn't speak still haunted him.

_He couldn't have known the custom of the bond…_

"Guy is important to Luke!" The little redhead smiled before taking off to find his brother, leaving Guy to ponder just what exactly was going through Luke's head. The child was no doubt an enigma, but he came with no hints, or clues, just a happy child accepting the world as it was presented to him.

Lady Fabre moved to sit on the bench next to Guy, after standing watch over Asch as he journeyed into the flower gardens once more. She let out a sigh and relaxed into the bench, smiling warmly at Guy before her eyes trailed down to her hands clasped in her lap.

"So Guy…" Suzanne didn't meet his curious gaze, but instead kept her eyes trailing Luke and Asch's forms as they weaved around the two 'adults' sitting on the bench. Guy had been considered an adult around the Fabre household, partly because of his position as a caretaker for Suzanne's new son, and generally because he was preferred by Asch and Luke to their own father.

"Yes Lady Fabre?" Guy's voice was certain, but very early on into his stay; Suzanne had discovered Guy suffered severe gynophobia. He would always change the subject, of Luke would ask his mother for attention, sparing Guy from revealing his past.

"Have you discovered the cause of Luke's energy loss, or the blackouts?" Suzanne noticed curiously how Luke seemed to have been listening to their conversation, as if he was waiting for the topic of Guy's past to surface. When Lady Fabre didn't bring it up, Luke carried on his antics with Asch, as if he hadn't become dangerously serious a moment before.

"It's common for Impostor's to experience slight drops in energy, followed by bursts of energy, but I'm thinking his drop may not be related to his stamina at all. I'm thinking he is in some sort of pain." Guy glanced at Luke; the white scar on his forehead called is attention every time the wind would move his bangs.

It was an old scar, much older then the physical abuse Luke had endured before his respite in the Fabre household. Guy felt a little embarrassed for not realizing that he had been bleeding when he was taken to the dealer, and if they had started to teach him to walk, he couldn't have been there longer then a week. _But where are the newer scars?_

"Then the blackouts are just when he can't handle the pain any longer?" Asch tackled Luke and the two went rolling through the grass. Suzanne tensed up, recalling the last time the two got rough, Luke lost consciousness.

Guy was quick to his feet, lifting the thin Impostor off his twin. Asch rolled over on to his knees to watch Guy attend to his brother with interest radiating off his youthful self.

Although Luke appeared to be fine, glancing around him in puzzlement, Guy wasn't so sure. Suzanne was quick to join the duo fussing over the newest addition to her family. The three residents of the manor all waited, for any signs of a reaction of the tumble Luke had taken, but he continued to simply look from face to face for a reaction.

"How ya feelin' Luke!?" Asch crawled over to his brother, so his knees were inches away from the crown of Luke's hair. His hands caged Luke's upper arms to his side, but the smaller of the two didn't seem to mind. He smiled in return to the comforting presence Asch gave him; meekly trying to squirm away and resume their ever roughening games.

"Do you feel any pain Luke?" Guy was surprised that Suzanne would be so forthright with her newest son, but with someone as young in mentality as him, her actions did have merit. Luke couldn't understand anything abstract they tried to teach, not yet at least. Anything they couldn't reinforce couldn't be picked up until Luke had more control over his language and ability to filter and construct thoughts.

"Pain?" Luke acted as if he didn't know what the word meant, looking to his brother for guidance.

"You know Luke… Does anywhere hurt? Does Guy need to check what's goin' on with you?" Guy grabbed one of Luke's wrists to feel for the pulse, earning him a strange, but short lived glance from Suzanne.

"Luke, your pulse is speeding up, are sure you are feeling alright?" Guy gently brushed Asch away so he could sit Luke up. "Does any part of your body feel different then the rest?"

Guy's words finally seemed to make it through to Luke, and to the bewilderment of his family, Luke pushed himself to his feet and glanced between the three concerned faces watching him.

"Luke feels hurt… here." The redhead pointed to Guy's chest, which had tightened from his distress. Guy hid his shock, and deemed it a fluke that Luke had known about his aching inside- from his inability to help his charge and the consequences from that failure.

"Luke hurts… Because Guy hurts too."

There was that flash of gold in his eyes again, but this time, Asch, Suzanne, and Guy were all able to see it together. It didn't fade away as it had before, but instead, Luke screwed his eyes shut, and his hands tangled themselves tightly in his hair.

"What is happening to him Guy?!" Suzanne made to rush towards her son, but Guy held his arm out to restrain her, doing the same for Asch.

Guy didn't answer immediately; he was still too caught up in forming his own hypothesis while his lips formed words without his minds consent.

"Hey Luke… look at me…" The redhead cautiously unscrewed one eye open, barely enough for Guy to see the color his iris had turned.

".. still gold…"

"_I have to atone…"_

Asch opened his arms from beside the blond caretaker. Guy, the only one who could hear Luke's hauntingly serious voice, seemed trapped within both fear and confusion, as Suzanne stepped around from beside him.

"_I've done terrible things…"_

Though his lips weren't moving, Guy knew it was Luke who was speaking to him, and even though his eyes had returned to their soft green, he knew that he had seen those gold eyes against a backdrop of fire and destruction.

Luke had settled in his brother's arms, in his comfort zone. Suzanne settled on a nearby park bench, the scare had brought her heart rate up above what she knew was healthy.

Guy was a bit shell-shocked; he didn't know how to respond to the child's confession, which he had undoubtedly spoken within the use of his voice.

"Hey Luke, can you repeat what you just told me?" Guy placed his hand on the tense redheads shoulder, earning a pleading look Asch. Luke pulled away from the comfort his brother offered, and faced Guy.

"Luke doesn't remember what he said."

Suzanne gasped in surprise, and Asch laughed with happiness. Although their beloved family member had been in pain, his ability to overcome it and surprise them all with his knowledge raised their spirits immensely.

"He said **he**! He is starting to understand pronouns!" Asch and his mother carried on their own jovial exchange, and Guy wished he could partake in the celebration as well. Luke's face was serious, even though his family was rejoicing, and that expression kept Guy frozen stiff.

The blond bent down so he was face to face with Luke, slightly out of earshot of his family.

"And who is _he_?"

Luke's eyes glanced upwards, before returning to meet Guy's stare.

"Is _he_, _**you**_?"

Luke shook his head, still obviously straining to search for the answer. "He isn't Luke- Luke is Luke."

"_He doesn't remember me."_

Luke's eyes began to lose focus, he was close to blacking out. Guy quickly called the attention of the Fabre family, who rushed to Luke's aid. When he had fallen from the world of the conscious, his eyes remained open, an uncomfortable trend Guy was starting to notice, but he was also starting to unravel the mystery of his previous life, whether Luke knew it or not.

But even as Luke's eyes stated blankly into space, there was a flicker of gold, reminding Guy that somewhere in there, whoever could speak without a voice- was still reaching out to him.

"_I don't want him to remember me…"_

* * *

**A/N:** Who thinks they know what's going on yet!!! This is my least favorite chapter I'm ever going to write, the next one, that I just finished, but I'm still reworking a bit, is much more fun, it reveals a lot about the past, but at the end I was pretty much giving away the plot in the form of dialogue, so I have to do something about that hahahaa. I did that with my last story and i hated large portions of Fon Slot Curse because of the format I had to give it, thanks to how rusy I had become at writing. Oh well, life goes on.

So once again, forgive me for being so crazy bitch like, and send me your love, as always :D_  
_


	7. Charred Mirror

**Charred** **Mirror**

* * *

Falling down and down and down… There was seemingly no end to the infinite darkness. 

Luke felt like he was falling every time he fell asleep.

_But where am I going?_

"**He can never exist, because in a sense, he would end up destroying himself."**

Luke wanted to find the voice that had spoken, but he wasn't sure if it was to him or not. Opening his eyes was painful, as was trying to redirect the path of his descent.

"**Your theories have holes- far too many. I won't take part."**

The redhead arched his back, trying to relieve some of the tension he felt in his body. The voices all around him were all calling for his attention, but every time he tried to look, a mind numbing pain would be his only response.

"**No hesitations. You will do as I command."**

There was beeping, and the hum of computers roaring around him, but Luke didn't dare try to investigate. He curled himself up, hugging his knees as close to his chest as he could, and allowed himself to continue to fall, falling through the dreamscape that held him prisoner. His slipped his eyes open slightly, and he noticed the darkness of blue tile on the ground, but he was surrounded by something cool, and green. Luke closed his eyes and wished he wasn't there anymore, and soon enough he was falling again.

"**Perfect. No flaws. I've never seen this before!"**

Luke hit the bottom, resulting in his body to sprawling out along the dirt. There were flames licking at his skin, the uncomfortable feelings of being too close to a fire began to wash over him, but still, Luke was too scared to confirm his fears.

"**There isn't any way you can survive those wounds. I hope you've learned your lesson."**

"_I knew you would come." _

The pain of the fire died away, and Luke tentatively opened one of his eyes. He was surrounded by burning ruins, the remains of a once great city.

"Am I still… dreaming?" Luke asked, as he pulled himself to his feet. He hadn't even realized that he had dropped his habit of speaking in third person, but what he saw before him was far more interesting.

"_I don't exist anywhere else… But inside you now."_ It was Luke, exact right down to white scar marring his forehead. He was wearing charred clothing, obviously wandering around in this burning city for too long. But the resemblance was even more undeniable then his appearance compared to Asch's, from the tips of their hair to their clothing.

"Who are you?" Luke tried to reach out to his charred identical, but he flinched away before he could get close.

"_I was the hope of the people, I could have saved them from the miasma… and war… and disease."_

Luke was a little scared of his look-a-like, but at the same time, there was a burning sadness in his eyes, a plea to be forgiven for something unspeakable.

"You can still do that now!" Luke smiled, but he felt awkward when his charred twin did not return the gesture. "How did you get in here?"

"_This was the last place I destroyed. Only one child was left alive and safe from the destruction. I gave my life so you could be born after angering… him. He was going to destroy me, and just create a new one, but I stopped him. I stayed alive so another could never be brought into this world."_ The mature and hardened Luke watched his childish and playful self grow fearful of the words he spoke.

"Are you… me... then?" Luke tried to reach out to his burned self once more, only to be rejected again.

"_We are the same person, but I have blocked you off from me. I am your past… and you are my future. I want you to be happy for as long as you live now, but I will never bring you happiness…"_

"But you can't stay here, it's dangerous here!" Luke motioned to the burning houses, the flaming debris that blew with the wind. Surely he couldn't leave his mirror image to burn in this mess.

"_I created this chaos, this desolate place, so you couldn't ever find me, but you have been calling on my power far too much. You can't take pain away from humans anymore, only those of our own kind can be helped."_

"But my family… Guy feels pain… and I want to help…"

"_This scar."_ The older Luke brushed his own bangs out of the way, revealing the white mark that they both shared.

"_This is my punishment. I was a savior and instead I destroyed. You can end all of this suffering Luke. You must earn the power I hid in someone very important to you, and when they know who I am and what I've done, you will be reunited with your true mission. You can save your family, your friends, the entire world… if you can undo the damage I've done."_

"Will this end all of the pain I feel… in my heart? Will I have the energy to play with Asch and Guy… will I stop blacking out?"

"_You only black out when you try to take the pain from a human- when you try to heal them as you would one of us. I lost that ability, I traded it for you. You can feel Guy's pain; always you can feel it, can't you?"_

"Why does Guy feel pain?" Luke was starting to feel a bit lightheaded; his other's eyes were capturing his concentration. They were golden, much different then his emerald gems, as his mother called them.

"_If you can figure that out, if you can understand his suffering, you might realize something about yourself… that you never wanted to know. You will be happier if you do as I say, but I guess it's understandable."_

"What is?" Luke was starting to lose focus of his golden-eyed reflection, but he still had so many questions, would he see him again? Was he really trapped here in this destruction?

"_I wanted you to have a second chance at life; you are my hope for the future, that we can be forgiven. You must atone for crimes you did not commit, because when I pulled away from you, I left all that was pure. You are the sacred flame, but you must find your power. __**Don't remember me Luke**__."_

The world around Luke shattered like shards of glass, leaving him in the darkness as the burning village and those in it fell away. The image of the past Luke in its own cracking shard smiled, before disintegrating, like the other remains of the city.

But another voice was calling for Luke now, and it was a source of comfort in confusing times like this.

_That was a bad dream. That's all._

"Luke… It's time to wake up!" Asch was gently nudging his brother awake, they were to share a bed until Luke could sleep alone in his own room, but the newest addition to Asch's quarters was quite a heavy sleeper.

"Is it morning Asch?" The remains of what Luke had seen were quickly fading away from his memory, until he couldn't remember anything but a glimmer of gold, and with it, the hope to be saved.

"Yeah, it's time to get up." Asch felt some sort of tingling, his own body seemed to be reacting to how strangely Luke had been acting in his sleep, and now as he was waking. Luke had been stirring a lot, until his body trembled and fell perfectly still. Asch tried to tell himself it just a bad dream… that maybe Luke hadn't been mumbling about his past.

But in his waking, Luke would return to Luke, and Asch enjoyed the time he had with Luke, hoping that the day would never come when Luke would remember all the things he had told him in his dreams.

_This is Luke; he isn't what he was when I first met him. He promised me he would never return to that…he would be different when he met me when I awoke…_

_I gave him my name so he would never have to be like that again…_

* * *

"Yulia."

The Order's CEO jumped visibly at the intruding voice, dropping her pen onto the model sheets she had been working on.

She nervously glanced up, meeting the gaze of Jade Curtiss, with a particularly heavy looking file in his hands.

"How did you get in here?" Yulia rose from her chair and approached the Colonel, but he held up his hand, halting her approach, instead offering her the file he had brought in.

"I have my ways, dear Yulia." Jade smirked. "I can't stay long; you know I'm not allowed in the Order any longer."

Yulia nodded sadly, briefly glancing down at the folder in her arms. On the front, was attached a picture of pre-birth Luke, his entire pre-life's story was in this folder, up until his owner came to claim him.

"Are these from the master records? I got Ion and Anise permission to go in there." Yulia bit her bottom lip, wondering if perhaps Ion and Anise had spent a great deal of time looking for the records she held in her hands.

"Do you remember the project I talked about, back on the island? Jade spoke with a longing for back when he was still Dr. Jade Balfour, before he had unleashed human Fomicry upon the world.

"Yeah, I remember it. That project was like our child… what ever happened to it?" Yulia couldn't help but be captivated by the picture of the pre-birth Luke. He was curled up, floating in a green tube of a thick liquid, with an oxygen max taped over his mouth and nose. IV's were poking out of his arms, and a few from behind his knees, no doubt all of them providing him with the nutrition to live, like a mother does to her unborn child. His eyes were half open; the sparkling golden irises were staring blankly down at the ground.

_I thought Luke's eyes were green…_

"Van Grants stole the research when I was ejected from the Order. I'm sure Mohs was kind in sweetening up my release for you… him and I butted heads quite often." Jade spoke with disdain for Mohs. To Jade, he was a greedy child who had cornered his close friend from his early adulthood.

"I am not allowed to leave this wing; they have me guarded in here Jade… I'm so sorry… I never even got to say goodbye…" Yulia shrunk into herself, one of her hands fanning out to cover the obvious grief on her face.

"I understand Yulia… I made a mistake putting you in such a high position, and not putting someone you trusted up there with you, they have you figuratively in a cage now…" Jade smiled, offering some comfort for his messy discharge from The Order to Yulia. No doubt Mohs had sugared up the story and suggested he had to simply return to Malkuth. Peony knew that Fomicry was Jade's passion, but lied for Jade to protect his honor, offering him a place in the military. Peony and Jade were definitely old friends, even older then Yulia and Jade could claim to be, but Jade never spoke about his past much.

"Oh! Before I forget and leave, the files I gave you aren't from the master records. I decided to come see you instead of rummaging though this place. I think they might catch your interest, but I must be going now, no doubt the guards I subdued to enter here will start waking up soon…" Jade turned and started walking towards the door, but Yulia grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"Take me with you Jade." Yulia was staring at the ground, scared that if Jade could see the desperation in her eyes, he would reject her without a doubt.

"I can't Yulia, you are the CEO, and though you may be caged in here, Mohs will find out and probably harm Ion to get you back." Yulia flinched away from Jade, once again pulling into herself.

"If they find out he is an Impostor based upon your deceased brother, they will have more control over you then you'll know." Jade gave Yulia a sympathetic glance over his shoulder, before quickly exiting her wing, locking the door behind him.

"Van stole the plans… for Auldrant's savior? And Mohs… He cut out Jade so I would be alone… What is happening to the Order?"

"_When you and Jade have found a way to bring him to our world, bring me to see him, okay? I think we should be friends…!"_

_Yulia laughed and ruffled her little brothers hair, setting a dinner plate down in front of him._

"_I'm sure he would be dying to meet you as well! He might get awfully lonely in the Order; that is where me Jade and I are going to try and figure out how to bring him to us, will you be good while I'm gone?" Yulia sat a crossed the small table from her brother, her parents had long since passed on, but she continued to care for him as if he were her own son._

"_I'll be so good! Yulia, I'll make you proud!"_

"I'll make you proud too, Ion… Jade and I will get our research back from Van… though it has been years since he stole it now…" Yulia heard a guard knock against the door, frantically demanding to know if she was alright. She called back to the guard, telling him she was just finishing up her work.

The guard continued to yell useless tidbits through the solid door Jade escaped from, but Yulia had long since walked away, opening the safe in the wall where she kept all the remnants of Hod that Guy was able to save.

"Take good care of Guy… Luke… He is the only one who knows what happened back home…"

* * *

**A/N: **I wrote and rewrote the second half of the chapter so many times, and with each rewrite, the plot changed drastically. So let's hope I made the right choice? The next chapter is the cute, a definate moment in the development of Asch and Luke, as well at a glimpse into what one mystery stands for!  
I also realized I have a whole boatload of typos and silly mistakes in all of these chapters, but my beta has computer access like... Once a year, so I'm waiting for the ten chapters I sent her to come back. She is a slow girl. 


	8. Superheroes

**Superheroes**

**A/N:** I don't have much to say about this one, or the next few, my updates are going to become a lot less frequent though, I have other thigns that I have been neglecting because I loved this story too much D:  
I hope I'll be able to finish it all before september, when my appearances will definatly be sporadic.**  
**

* * *

"I didn't mean to offend father, honest!" Asch huffed, throwing himself onto his bed. Luke watched curiously from the window sill, where Guy had left the child to attend to his laundry. The boy had offered to help, but Luke's appearance anywhere where his father could see him at the moment was not a good idea in Guy's book.

"Would you like me to do something about it?" Luke smiled, innocently, but there was a hint of deviance in Luke voice. Luke's desire to bend over backwards for Guy and Asch hadn't gone unnoticed, but when questioned, he simply responded that 'it makes me sad when you are sad!'

Guy never questioned how Luke knew they were sad, but he had managed to trick the boy into believing that simply behaving well would bring him happiness.

"Nah, I was defending you from father. I think he is scared of you." Asch waited for a response, but Luke simply stared in return. Watching had become one of Luke's favorite pastimes, he would just watch the commotion around the manor, and all the while Guy would worry about what was going through his head.

"Is everyone afraid of me?" Luke's tag caught the sunlight when he turned to face his brother. It looked like a normal necklace when its contents were hidden like this, but as Luke became more aware of the world around him, he became more aware of what he truly was.

Asch frowned, and beckoned his brother over. They both sat cross legged, facing each other in silence. Asch finally reached out and grabbed his brother's shoulders, bringing them both to lie on their sides, still facing each other.

Asch reached up and brushed Luke's hair away from his eyes, the same way his mother used to when he would doubt his confidence.

"I'm not afraid of you, and Guy never stops worrying about you, he isn't afraid either." Asch watched as a glimmer of a smile danced along Luke's lips, he could never hide how happy it made him when he was complimented.

"Did I make momma sick?" Luke reached out and placed his palm against Asch's chest, waiting to see if the pain in his chest was the same as Asch's, so maybe he wouldn't feel so bad about his mother figure's untimely illness.

"Mom has never been well Luke." Asch reached out and grabbed Luke's tag in his hand. Luke visibly flinched, but the grip Asch held on the collar prevented him from pulling away.

"You are my best friend Luke, even if you don't remember anything before you came home with Ion. I will never get angry with you." Asch tugged Luke's collar, bringing the boy closer. He wrapped his arms around his brother.

"Remember Luke, no matter what happens from now on out, you always have me, okay? I don't care what you are, or where you came from, you always have me."

Luke curled his body up, allowing Asch to cradle his surprisingly slender form to his chest. As much as Luke wished to cry, he doubted he was able, he didn't seem capable of expressing a majority of the emotions he felt, but in Asch and Guy's presence, he only wanted to please, no matter how he felt inside.

Asch rested his back against the headboard of the bed he and his father had argued about. He allowed his emotional distant brother to curl into his lap, Luke's forehead pressing into Asch's shoulder.

Guy stood in the doorframe, watching as the two boys sat in silence. Asch had rested his cheek on top of Luke's messy red hair, and closed his eyes. The two appeared to be sleeping, which was probably for the best after the blowout Asch had with his father.

Guy pulled the door closed, catching Asch's attention. The noble looked up and caught Guy's gentle smile as the door clicked shut, leaving Asch and Luke and the setting sun.

Most of the manor had grown used to Luke's presence, and that he was always to be watched by Guy, but Suzanne's reoccurring illness had started to rest poorly in the Duke's mind. Luke showed no animosity towards anyone, even when he was insulted or put down because of his disposition, he never even batted an eye against them. But still, Duke Fabre found it hard to adjust to a creature of the same race that almost injured him earlier in his life.

Human Fomicry had only been in use for ten years, Yulia had been CEO of the Order for seven of those ten years.

_But the Malkuth massacres… Those only happened months ago, the murderer could still be on the loose…_ It wasn't entirely Duke Fabre's fault he was afraid of his newest son and the attachments he created with all those that interacted with him. He wasn't afraid of Guy's helpfulness around the manor, or Suzanne's declining health, but the way Luke was perfect. Fomicry never created perfection; it wasn't possible for a creature creation science to create perfect humans, even though they were the same, in exchange for higher-order thinking, physical appearances and individual mentality was sacrificed.

Yet Luke now slept in his son's room, his ability to think and respond to situations without any programming, his flawless appearance, all of it was too unreal. Something was amiss with how seamlessly Luke had adjoined himself into the family, but the Duke was the only one to notice.

* * *

It was a slow day for Luke. Guy and Asch were practicing sword-fighting, but Luke's own abilities were ailing. He instead took to watching the clouds as they drifted through the sky, remarking at how strange and soft the white billows appeared, yet when they got 'angry', they would poor rain from the sky.

There was still so much Luke didn't understand, but he was able to learn most of what he needed through observations. Most of the time Guy would have to correct Luke's interpretations, minor details Luke has missed, or false impressions he discovered from occurrences that weren't normal.

Luke had decided he wanted to learn the swordplay that Guy and Asch enjoyed playing with one another. Guy offered to teach Luke once he regained his mobility, but something about the handling of a weapon for sport struck a nerve within him.

Instead, the young Impostor enjoyed learning without actually doing, in this aspect at least. Weaponry would not be a strong point of Luke's; no matter how much it was expected of the Duke's son. There was something that denied Luke the ability to pick up a blade, even the wooden practice swords

"Did anyone ever teach you about fonic artes, Asch?" Guy signaled for the sparring match to end, sliding the wooden sword back into his cloth belt.

"I've never tried them really; I've heard only certain people can use them." Luke looked interestingly between the two, but chose not to express his interest in these fonic artes.

"You can channel fonons through the slots on your body to cast powerful artes, I can't do it though. You're right; only certain people can cast them." Guy took a seat next to Luke, who hardly acknowledged his presence, but silently asked Guy to continue his explanation of the artes.

"Could Luke do them?" Asch's question pulled Luke from his unresponsive state, which would have shocked Asch and Guy, but they were used to his strange mannerisms by now.

"I've never heard of an Impostor successfully controlling fonic artes, strike artes- maybe, but Luke refuses to wield a weapon." Guy ruffled Luke's hair, grabbing Luke's shoulder and pulling him in close.

"You want to try Luke? I don't know how to use them myself, but I can teach you how to call upon fonons, and maybe they will answer you." Guy cheerily tried to rally Luke's spirits, but when Luke was in a pensive mood, nothing but Luke could lift himself from the vast expanse of his mind.

"Can we both try?" Luke looked to Asch for reassurance, receiving a smile from his twin brother.

"Of course, now go stand in the center of the courtyard, and I'll tell you what to do. Luke, you might need to make adjustments depending on how many fonons answer you call, I'm not sure the same amount will answer as they will Asch, if any come to either of you…"

Guy was aware that Impostor's were made without the proper fon slots to call fonons, but he wouldn't aid in Luke's feelings of inferiority. The boy already had to deal with his leather collar as a reminder of his place in society, because when he stepped outside the walls of the manor, he wasn't the Duke's son any longer.

"Close your eyes, and try and hear the fonons around you. Once you can hear them, try and see if maybe you can feel them when they blow through your fon slots." The twins heeded Guy's advice, both closing their eyes in the center of the manor's courtyard.

Asch was the first to hear the fonons, but he didn't say anything to Luke. He didn't want to discourage his twin from trying.

Luke could hear something entirely different then Asch, and he could feel the fonons as they tried to rush into his fon slots, but they were blocked off by something. When Luke opened his eyes, he could see the blurry outlines of seven unlit lanterns forming a circle around his feet, each one representing a different fonim element.

Asch didn't have the unlit circle around his feet, and neither did Guy, but the static sound of the fonons colliding against a barrier kept distracting Luke.

"Something is blocking my fon slots Guy, do you know what it is?" Luke opened his eyes fully and the blurry images all disappeared, like an illusion.

"Maybe it's a fon slot seal?" Asch piped up, giving up after he was barely able to feel the fonons breezing around his fon slots.

Guy studied Luke, trying to focus on the fonons around the boy. He may not have been able to command them, but he could still hear and feel them, and of course, they did aid in his strike artes, they very few he actually knew.

"It's not a slot seal, they are all open…" _Why does he __**have**__ fon slots?_ "It's something just barely off of your skin… It's strongest….. here…" Guy traced the invisible barrier to its strongest point, its origin no doubt.

His white scar.

"This was here before I woke up in the miasma… Ion said something about it when he was checking my older wounds." Luke placed his delicate hand over his forehead, effectively hiding the white mark from Guy and Asch's view.

"What happened to those injuries? You were bandaged up pretty bad at the dealer from what Anise had told me." Guy gently pried Luke's hand away from his forehead, and began to examine the boy's hairline again, in case he happened to miss anything during the preliminary examination.

But again, there was nothing.

"Do you heal fast? Is that Luke's superpower?" Asch gleefully clasped his hands together, trying to lighten the mood surrounding Luke's lack of scars.

"Yeah, Luke is a superhero. He is going to save the entire manor from the super villain Asch." Guy laughed when Asch's faced dropped, the noble boy obviously didn't enjoy being evil.

"Then what does that make you Guy?" Luke poked his caretaker in the center of his forehead, while Asch tried to coax Luke into jumping on his back.

Guy swatted Luke's prying hands away, only to have the boy finally accept Asch's offer to join forces and take on Guy.

"I'm the most evil super villain of them all!"

And so the dual superhero and the super villain fought valiantly, but Guy ended up defeating the totem pole that was Asch and Luke, picking the original superhero off Asch's back and foiling their plans.

Asch sighed, realizing what time it was, and reluctantly following the struggling Luke (although he was suspended in the air by his midsection) into the manor for bath time.


	9. Nameless

**Nameless**

* * *

There were the nights when Luke would cry out in his sleep.

And there were the nights would his cries would wake Asch.

And those were the nights Asch would hold him close, like a security blanket in a strange reverse situation. He was bringing his safety comfort, but he didn't mind.

There were times when Guy would remember his home, his family, and their deaths.

And those were the times Luke would grow silent, watching the blond muse over his past.

Luke always knew that the past was a horrible thing- his past, Guy's past, his father's past; all of them were horrible in some way.

But Luke didn't have the luxury of remembering his, and so he was left to comfort his caretaker in his times of need, although Luke was reaching out for someone to quiet his own nervous mind.

After discovering Luke's scar as the reason he couldn't call out to fonons, the boy had grown accustomed to covering it up with a bandage. He had hoped to end all questions by removing it from view, but a bandage is a sign of injury, and the only injury Luke felt couldn't be bandaged.

"Are you hurting Guy?" Luke pulled himself up to join his caretaker on the edge of the gardens where Guy had settled himself.

"I just have some bad memories Luke, it's nothing." _It's something._

"Do they hurt you? Do memories hurt?" Luke leaned in close, resting his cheek against Guy's upper arm. Asch had gone to the castle to play with Natalia, and Luke hadn't wanted to leave the manor, to leave behind the life he had here- if only for a brief amount of time.

Asch reluctantly left Luke in Guy's care, but the noble knew Guy was their closest friend, and he would keep Luke safe from the Duke, should he lash out again.

"No Luke, remembering good things makes you feel good. But when you remember the painful things…" Guy let out a sigh, and placed his hand on top of Luke's head.

"They hurt? Is it the same pain as a scraped knee?" Luke looked down at his own bandaged knees, hopefully finding a feeling to tie to those of sorrowful memories, but he had no memories the pain could be affixed with.

Guy smiled, but shook his head. The pain of his unhappy memories died down, and Luke felt the pressure, his desires to end his suffering dwindle.

"I should be asking you what it feels like to have no memories. I can imagine that hurts worse then what I'm feeling." Guy could remember everything from his early childhood, but Luke had only a week in the Fabre household, and about a week in the dealership. Two weeks of memories, no matter how happy, could never replace a lifetime.

"I feel empty." Luke responded dismally. Guy ruffled his hair in an attempt to bring back some of his joy, but there was nothing but Luke that could bring him back from his gloom.

"I can hardly remember some parts of my past, some of them are fairly recent." Guy reached into his pocket and felt the familiar circular tag he had taken from Luke upon his arrival.

"Maybe you just need some jogging to help get your memories back, you know?" Luke shot Guy a puzzled look, before Guy realized he had seriously fumbled his own words.

"I have to run to bring my memories back? I run a lot when I play with Asch though…" Luke hoped off the ledge, but Guy caught his arm before he could take off.

"I didn't mean exercise jogging! I meant memory jogging, like triggering memories by using different techniques." Guy pulled the tag out of his pocket, and he knew he might regret it, but he reached behind Luke's neck and removed the leather collar, if only for a minute.

"Here, look at these two tags and tell me what they make you think about."

Luke nervously accepted the tags, having never been able to look at one of them except in a mirror. The boy gave Guy his collar back, his eyes fixed on the tag guy had handed him instead.

"Where did this one come from? Was this my first tag?" Luke flipped the coin over and over again, searching for something that wasn't there.

"Yeah, that was your first tag, I gave you this one when I became your caretaker." Guy reached around and fastened Luke's thin leather collar without disturbing his examination of the older tag.

"It's blank." Luke stated plainly, finally tearing his eyes away from the plain golden disc in his hands.

"Your old ID papers were also blank. I would assume your first family never named you." Guy reached out his hand to take the plain disc from Luke, but the boy closed his fist around it.

"A family that abandoned me in a miasma stream, knowing that humans can't enter them for prolonged periods of time." There was anger in Luke's voice, and it showed by the way his fist quivered.

"Why was I born if they were just going to abandon me Guy? All I want to do is make you and Asch happy!" Luke could feel tears welling up in his eyes, the painful sting reinforcing his misery.

"You won't abandon me, right? You won't take away my memories and leave me to die, will you?" Luke dropped his old tag, his rage replaced with sorrow.

Guy reached down and grabbed his charge, holding him close to his chest while Luke's emotions ran freely.

Guy never answered Luke's question, but the redheaded child knew that Guy felt the same as Asch. They could never leave him, no matter what misfortunes befell them because of his appearance.

After Luke had fallen asleep, his crying exhausting his little body, Guy glanced around for Luke's old tag. There was the faint smell of smoke, the smell emitted when Guy had engraved Luke's name using the blistering hot tools needed.

Luke's old tag was smoking, and Guy couldn't understand why. He grabbed the metal ring that connected the tag to Luke's collar and tossed it into the fountain, before fishing it back out.

"It looks like a layer of earth fonons is covering this…" The blond pulled out his pocket knife and began to chip off the golden fonons covering Luke's old tag,

"He did have another name!" Guy stared in awe and the letters of Luke's old name revealed themselves.

"Lorelei… What a strange name…"

Guy ran his finger over the golden engraved name, discovering that it was still hot, like it was either freshly carved (which Guy reminded himself, was impossible) or Luke's rage and depression had somehow reacted with the tag.

The caretaker didn't wish to spend anymore time mulling over something as simple as a mysterious tag, not with Luke sleeping on the dirty ledge he left him on. If Suzanne were to walk out, Guy would more then likely get scolded for something so careless.

Luke briefly woke up, glancing at Guy as he picked away with something, but he was more concerned with the flashes he kept seeing in his sleep.

With his eyes blurry, he could see the seven lanterns, the earth fonim burning brightly against the cold and dark remaining six.

* * *

"Jade, did Van ever complete project Lorelei?" Yulia held her head in her hands; her eyes were closed as she silently drove herself crazy. 

The plans Van had stolen… There was no way he would bring that child into the world to complete the mission he would be created for.

"The project was supposedly shut down when you tightened security in the creation and birth labs. They couldn't get authentication, so I'd imagine they gave up." Jade shrugged his shoulders before settling himself in Yulia's armchair once more.

"But they didn't and you know it. They got validation from someone in the company, someone barely below me. Someone thought that Van really had a vision when he said 'I'll purge the world of evil with the sacred flame.'" Yulia held up the documentation of the experiments carried out in the Order. For two years they were carried out, until six months ago, when records just drop.

"Maybe the Grand Maestro knows something about it." Jade smirked, seeing Yulia's shocked expression.

"You don't mean to tell me…"

"I do believe I know who the rat is. Maybe Van promised Mohs a place in his new, cleansed world." Jade adjusted his glasses; the glare made him look even more menacing.

"The Malkuth murders?" Yulia buried her head in her arms, hoping that maybe it was all just a bad dream.

_A bad dream…_

"You can't create Lorelei without his purity, or the fon slots won't ever open. But it is possible to to suppress it." Jade stood up, probably to go find Ion and Anise far away from Yulia's wing.

"His purity…"

"Purity and Power, the two elements of Lorelei. Together they can save the world. But apart they…"

"Can destroy…" Yulia finished Jade's sentence, shell-shocked.

"Then…Luke? He was the original project, and Van separated him from power? Is he…?"

"He is in grave danger. If Van discovers that he survived, there is no doubt he will come out of hiding to reclaim his 'sacred flame.'" Jade pulled the door closed behind him, leaving Yulia to mull over what Jade had revealed to her.

"Shit!" Yulia screeched, throwing her CEO pass onto the ground. "You already killed my brother… Van… I won't let you take away _his_ only chance at a real life…"

* * *

**A/N: **I forgot to do this when I posted it last night lol, because I wrote this chapter so long ago that I really forgot what was the driving force of this one. It's gonna be pretty Guy and Luke centric until some major events coming up happen, and Asch just realizes what Luke is, or does he :3 :3 :3

I said earlier not everything is as it seems, at least I sure hope I did because that's what it is supposed to have said lol lol. There are a lot of lies, and contradictions, things that won't add up throughout this story, and it seems like no one we know really has the full truth, but they can tell you their twisted perceptions if you wish :3

If you can spot consistencies, you can spot the mystery! Can anyone tell me, who is Lorelei! or more importantly, what is he in relation to Luke:D


	10. Storyteller

**Storyteller**

* * *

Ion and Anise received their orders in a sealed beige envelope. It was Yulia's seal, and the information had come directly from Jade.

"We have to go see Luke and Asch again I guess." Ion stretched his arms above his head while he watched Anise for a response.

Anise had been acting strangely since the Colonel asked to speak with her about something in private. Ion hadn't been as bothered as he could have been, but he knew that if something wasn't for him to know, he wasn't to ask questions.

She carried a new doll in her arms, with a dark smile on its face. It looked ragged, but there was a hint of unwanted maturity in Anise's eyes. She looked as if she had just been told a dark secret, but Jade promised it was not concerning their mission.

"We should head out then," Anise said bleakly. She seemed to meekly avoid eye contact with Ion, lest what she knew somehow become visible in her now cold eyes.

"Is… everything alright Anise?" Ion dropped his arms to his sides, dejectedly.

"Yeah, I'm alright. But… Have you ever learned something that could change your life?" Ion ceased his worrying at her confession. Jade had just told her something that had shaken her, forced her to grow up a little too fast. Ion had grown up fast too, he could relate.

"I don't know anything the Order, or you do not with me to know. I'm their property, you know that!" Ion smiled, and Anise weakly returned the gesture. But a smile was a smile to Ion, no matter how small. It was improvement.

"Yeah Ion, I'm sorry, I forgot." Anise stretched, before tying the strange doll around her neck. "Let's get going, okay Ion?"

_Ion was created to replace Yulia's brother, but she hasn't gotten the chance to get to know this Ion yet. He isn't her brother…_

"Oh course Anise; I'm ready if you are. Don't forget the mission card, Mohs tightened security again."

* * *

Luke seemed more attached to Guy as the uproar of his arrival died down. Asch was forced to attend to more studies, his playtime had been cut shorter then it had been before. 

This in itself was enough to cause the small child horrible bouts of depression, as Asch was the only person whom he truly, deeply cared for- Aside from Guy and his mother, but Asch was different. Luke didn't want to play with Guy all the time, he didn't sleep in Guy's room at night, and Guy didn't look like his brother, he instead looked like his protector.

Guy had never been the sole interest of a child before, he was still a child himself, but Luke's dependency on him was growing as quickly as his isolation from his father and the outside world was growing. The blond had become Luke's only tutor as he couldn't learn everything by observing as he did with his early knowledge.

But not only had Guy become the only teacher present in Luke's life, he also became the only older male presence. The Duke knew that Luke would be of no value to him, he was not an heir to the throne as Asch was, nor was he not even his true son. Luke only stayed because of Suzanne and Asch's attachment. The Duke was aware of the return policy, which would rid him manor of both Guy and the perfect little child with that despicable collar, but he was bound by his wife and son.

"Will Asch have time to play with us today?" Luke may have surpassed everyone around him in knowledge, but he was still a child, Guy could never allow himself to forget that.

"No, I'm afraid not even after dinner today, its bath time, and then bedtime. You will see him then!" Luke frowned but didn't show any other signs of his disappointment. Instead he allowed Guy to pick him up and set him in his lap, face to face with the blond.

"I'll tell you a story instead; I know you are dying to hear it." Guy tried to maintain his happiness, but Luke could already feel what was coming.

"Guy… You don't have too…" Even as the pain Guy would feel because of his memories began to dull, it only intensified within his redheaded charge.

"Luke, I know why you are in pain when I'm sad, same with Asch and your mother, but you never feel our anger, or our rage; you only feel what you think you can fix. And maybe… you can fix me if you listen to my story." Guy tucked a lock of Luke's hair behind his ear, gently scratching the soft spot hidden there. He wasn't sure if was proper behavior for a child to enjoy such an animalistic feeling, but he was beyond caring.

Luke slid the eye closest to Guy's scratching closed, tilting his head a bit to give guy better access to all the soft spots lining his neck line.

"I'll listen if you promise not to use my weakness against me again!" Luke smiled to his caretaker, who had discovered that with a simple scratch, Luke would be willing to do absolutely anything.

Guy laughed at Luke's innocent request before stopping the attack on Luke's will. He smoothed down the hair he had ruffled on the boy's head, before contemplating over where to start.

"Well, once upon a time Luke, I was young like you. Only about four months ago, an evil man came to my city. It was a beautiful city, but he didn't care about the sunsets and the ocean, he wanted to destroy." Guy debated stopping his story when Luke began to quiver, but the child instead demanded more contact from Guy, wrapping his arms around his caretaker's waist. It was only natural that Luke would desire contact from his caretaker, as he desired contact from Asch. But Asch wasn't here, and when Luke was uncomfortable, only being around those he cared about seemed to help.

"But the island was full of all sorts of fighters who could defend the island. The man did something horrible, he commanded a child to destroy for him, knowing the values of the islanders wouldn't allow them to harm the child as they would the man." Luke shuddered again, and Guy wrapped his arms around his quivering form.

"Was the child as evil as the man?" Luke questioned, disguising how much he truly knew about what might have happened.

"The child cried out with each victim the man made him cut down. He called out for someone to kill him, but his powers acted of it's own accord, denying the child's wishes to stop. I was the last one alive, the only one to survive the horrible events that befell my home. I know he saw me; he stared at me with his soft golden eyes, apologizing silently for everything that had happened, before he turned and left. Fire shot out from flames around his feet, burning the buildings and bodies of the islanders, but for some reason, he spared me." Guy knew it was a hard tale to tell, and it was hard for Luke to have to accept.

"I don't blame the child. I blame the man that used that boy for his own evil purposes. The child was an Impostor, it was impossible for him to deny the orders of those who gave them."

Luke closed his eyes, hoping that maybe those memories weren't the ones that matched what his other self told him about.

"_So now you know. But what did you take from the story?"_ Golden-eyes Luke was speaking to Luke, as he trembled within Guy's embrace.

'You were ordered to kill Guy's entire city? That makes me the Malkuth murderer… I killed millions of people because of this man...?' Luke wished he could return to the days when he first arrived at the manor. Before he could walk or talk, before he could fully realize his dark past.

"_I told you what you discovered would not bring you happiness."_

Luke felt his own eyes start to water at the realization of his past, causing to Guy to stir from his own memory haze.

"Hey little guy, it's alright." The blond pried Luke away from his chest so he could examine his face, no doubt the child would start crying soon.

"No…" Luke moaned, trying to hide his face in Guy's shirt once more.

"It's not your fault, it's okay…" Luke seemed to flinch when Guy reassured him of his innocence, and Guy started to wonder what exactly was going through his mind.

"It is my fault Guy. I remember something that will bring you sadness. But these memories aren't mine… they are _his..._" Luke's words were as serious as Guy had ever heard the child speak before; it was nerve-wracking trying to figure out what had bothered him so.

"Is he… the one who was talking to me the other day? When you couldn't remember his words, these memories are his?" Guy knitted his eyebrows together; the situation with Luke was getting clearer in some places and darker in others.

"Do you know his name? He was here before me… Did you know him?" Luke bit his bottom lip, hoping that maybe he was just dreaming again, that he would wake up and Guy would tell him a story he hadn't seen happen in his mind.

"His name was…" The tag! Guy reached into his pocket to grab the tag for Luke, but the boy grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"His name is Lorelei."

* * *

**A/N: **I think my chapters are getting shorter, but I can't really remember anymore. I'm writing the climax now, or at least the post climax, and it seems to be stealing my soul, I don't think I would ever have thought of some of the evil things I almost wrote, but they are still swimming around and encouraging my fingers to leave such tragedies. But alas! I shall not. Yet.

I do have to stop being a favoritism-er and finish my other two works in progress. They just don't _sound_ appealing anymore. D:


	11. To Open

**To Open...**

* * *

"Anise, I assure you that Luke isn't a danger to anyone here, he doesn't need to return with you to the Order." Guy massaged his temples, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to his downtrodden charge. Ever since Luke revealed he was starting to receive Lorelei's memories, his behavior changed greatly.

"Yulia and Jade have collected evidence that suggests Luke is the original Project Lorelei, and if he can return with us, we can discover if it was Lorelei that was involved in the Malkuth murders." Ion felt a distinct aching in his chest as they reasoned with Guy. Separating families like this was hard, no doubt Asch had become very attached to both Luke and Guy.

"Yulia wouldn't order you to take Luke away from us… She isn't like that…" Luke slowly made his way behind Guy. He hid himself from Ion and Anise's view, effectively diverting attention from Guy to himself.

"I'll tell you anything…."

Ion and Anise were both shocked at how strange the boy was acting. He would tell them anything? What did he think they wanted to know?

"What are you going to tell them?" Guy questioned, reaching behind him and pulling Luke away from his safety. He settled the boy on his hip, but Luke's gaze was stuck on the ground.

"I'll tell them anything they want to know about Lorelei if they let me stay."

Anise audibly gasped, her hand trailing to the doll she had tied around her neck.

Ion sensed her shock, and placed his hand on her shoulder before stepping forth to confront Luke.

"Well first Luke… Can you tell me who Lorelei is?" Luke nodded solemnly, lifting his gaze from the ground to face the Impostor he bonded with before meeting his family.

"He looks like me… Exactly like me… He says he can't exist anywhere except me." Luke tucked his head onto Guy's shoulder, and the older boy leaned his cheek into the fiery mess of red hair.

Ion nodded his head, taking mental notes since he left his notepad back at the order. No doubt Anise carried one, but she was far too confused to be asking favors of. Ion understood things others didn't because of a gift from the Colonel… and he would use that gift to help Luke as much as he could.

"It sounds like he is another personality; does he ever talk to you while you are awake?" Luke shook his head, but Guy's eyes lit up.

"Sometimes he will talk through him; his eyes change colors to signify the change." Ion motioned for Guy to continue on with his own observations so that he may make a hypothesis.

"Gold. They change gold. And Luke has no memory of the events that transpire while his eyes are gold. It isn't really a separate personality, but a separate person entirely."

"Lorelei feels guilty, and he wants me to atone for his sins now." Luke's voice was flat as he spoke, even though motions were whirling within his mind. He felt sick at the memories Lorelei held, but he knew his other self felt the same way. If he wanted to atone, he had to tell them though. He had to let them know what Lorelei knew, or they would never be forgiven.

"Do you know what Lorelei is guilty of?" Guy could feel the little pinches of Luke's nails as they gripped his shirt tighter.

"Luke?" The boy was silent to both Guy and Ion calling out his name. Guy knew he could hear them, with each mention of his name, Luke would flinch.

"_You wanted to know Luke… This is who we are… I am your power… I am your past… And you are redemption… The purity of the future…" _The voice of Luke's other self, Lorelei, was fading rapidly, but not without consequence. Luke was fighting the merger of his two selves; his eyes were swirling green and gold in an attempt to mix.

"The Malkuth murders. Lorelei… _He_ struck him… us… down." Guy gasped, finally realizing all the hints Luke had tried to give him.

Ion shot him a cautious glare, not to interfere with what was happening within the child.

"The murderer… I am the murderer… I… Luke was the only was to save us…" Guy pulled Luke close, but it didn't help that the internal struggle to retain Luke's personality was slowly making itself known on the outside.

"His hair is glowing Ion, that only happens during…" Anise gradually trailed off, not willing to confirm her fears.

"Tell me… What do you call yourself?" Ion retained his calm attitude, much to Guy and Anise's surprise, but Guy knew from experience that anything was possible with his strange charge.

"I want to be Luke… I want to atone for the crimes I committed, even if the memories belong to someone else… This body killed Guy's family!" The glowing of Luke's hair intensified, trailing from his roots to the tips of his hair until the entirety of his red locks was engulfed in the same gold as his eyes.

"What is going on Ion!" Anise cried out, tugging his sleeve. Ion glanced at her with a smile, before turning to face Luke once more.

"Hyperresonance, it's truly a phenomenon, isn't it? But Lorelei, aren't you pushing the seal that protects Luke's purity from Van's corruption?" Ion waited patiently while the two colors continued to mix in Luke's eyes, the seal that separated the two further degrading.

"This seal… Brings pain to purity, instead of the power of innocence… and as two halves of one being, we must be one, as Luke has accepted his past. I may endanger myself, but leaving Luke unprotected, with subconscious fears and nightmares of things he can never understand, it is a fate much crueler than that which we were born for."

'Lorelei… I don't want to disappear…' Luke found himself standing in front of his other self, pleading to end the tugging feeling at his mind.

'_You will never disappear… But we live in the past and the future… In the present… there is one, one being. Let me be your power Luke, and you will be my will, I will make sure your determination is realized. You dreams… can become your reality' _Luke's other self reached out his hand. It was covered in numerous cuts and burns, no doubt his own doing from secluding himself into such a desolate place

'My friends… My family… They will be safe? Your memories will never be repeated?' Luke took a step towards his other self, finally able to step past that barrier his other self had around him at all times. The white scar in under Luke's hairline began to ache in protest, the seal that had been erected by Luke's other self was nearing the end of it's short life.

'_I understand now as well. Ion brings with him knowledge he didn't know he had, but Van… __**He**__ hid you away, and with it he could control me. I have no will of my own, but without it, there is no power. I saved you, my own purity, and destroyed the darkness, at the cost of something important… a power Van didn't know we had.'_

'No free will… Power… What am I… Lorelei?' Another step forward and Luke's inward appearance matched that on the outside, his hair was shimmering, and his eyes matched Lorelei's at the same time. Luke's other self mirrored his appearance, nodding his approval to Luke's question.

'_You are what they really created in project Lorelei, not me. Luke, I thought I could protect you, but you are the only one who can save the world now… It's our duty, to save our family and friends… And it's my duty… to save you…' Luke's other self made the first move Luke had ever seen him make, closing the gap between the two. _

'_You desire Asch to be here? It shall be done. Accept me Luke… Even if you've forgotten… All you wish shall be done…' _

The swirling in Luke's eyes stopped, before the glow died down. The hyperresonance, the symbol of Lorelei's power, still glowed brightly in Luke's hair, but his eyes had returned to green.

"Congratulations Luke. You have been reborn, but the seal has not been undone." Ion stopped his thoughts when he heard the door to Asch's tutoring room open.

"Luke is calling me… isn't he?" Asch's hair was glowing the same as Luke's, but he didn't seem as comfortable with the change as Luke was.

The Impostor wiggled out of Guy's arms, going to meet his brother at the door. Asch accepted him into his arms, and the glowing only intensified.

"You will never be a tool to me Luke, and though it hurts knowing what he made you do… You are still my brother… Stay with me… I'll keep you safe…" Asch closed his eyes, his hyperresonance dying down. Luke collapsed in his arms, but Asch remained oblivious to the other three in the room. He held his brother as close as he had the first day he arrived, stroking his hair as his glow died down.

"Ion…" Anise looked up to her Impostor, who only smiled and turned away.

"We are done here Anise, let's go." Guy and Anise both gasped in shock, but Ion could only smile.

"Wh…What do you mean? What just happened Ion!" Anise tugged the boy's sleeve, but he didn't turn to face her. Instead, he closed his eyes and recalled the exact orders he had received, that dictated the way he acted that day.

"Lorelei and Luke… They aren't two different people inside of one body. They are one person, but they way they are designed… Luke is innocence, purity and all the goodness the project originally held. Lorelei is his power, without free will he acts in response to Luke's desires. Van replaced Luke, and so Lorelei had to react to the new will, his own, by reducing what was originally Luke's mission, into Van's conquest."

"Ion… How do you know all of this?" Anise took a step back form her Impostor, but he paid no heed to her words.

"He was struck down when Lorelei couldn't bring himself to strike down Guy, releasing Lorelei from Van's grasp with his abandonment. Lorelei knew Luke was hurting from his actions, and thus, sealed himself away to save Luke the pain."

"But what about Asch? Why do they look the same?" Guy glanced nervously over his shoulder, but the two boys were still in their own world.

"I don't know of Van's intentions, I only know about Project Lorelei, and how I know… I don't know." Ion glanced back, and extended his hand for Anise to take.

"I don't know why I know, but my mission inside that envelope, it was different then yours Anise. For the first time, my mission was different." As she was in a trance, Anise slowly walked over to embrace her Impostor, disregarding the way Ion only offered his hand.

"Luke and Asch… Lorelei has connected them somehow, but I don't know. All I know is the seal separating Luke from Lorelei has broken, fonons will once again answer the call of the sacred flame."

* * *

**A/N: **:O :O :O  
Some strange things happened here, but remember to pick out what doesn't add up! Lol, I'm practically giving away my horrid lies with every chapter, but I know it's harder to apply the concepts of a story like this when you don't have it all at once D:

P.S. My two male birds were trying to initiate mating today, they were tapping beaks and everything, but I don't have a nest box so it wouldn't have gotten far D:


	12. Great Escape

**Great Escape**

* * *

The intrusion had most certainly roused the curiosity of the manor, even as Guy hurriedly rushed Luke and Asch to his room.

"There is no way we can cross the courtyard without them noticing…" It was one of those times when Guy cursed Asch from living in a building separate from the rest.

Luke was still unconscious from whatever transpired between him and Lorelei, the details were sketchy and Guy was sure that not even Ion really understood what he was saying. There was the chance that what Ion knew was wrong though…

"So Van is a bad guy huh? Who is he?" Luke stirred, but even his anchor Asch didn't fully bring him back.

"He is the man that commanded Lorelei to destroy those millions of people." Guy tucked a stray hair out of Asch's face, before unloading Luke from his back.

"Does he want to hurt Luke? Or us?" Asch's voice was shrill with his innocence, but also adept at keeping secrets. Young children have both big mouths and tight-lips, whatever really suits their desires at the moment.

"I think Luke is safe for now, from Van at least, Lorelei can defend him, but I'm not so sure about your father." Asch gasped in surprise, but Guy quickly hushed him.

"He isn't going to want Luke around anymore after all the commotion he caused, defiantly not since word is spreading like wildfire that he was child involved in the Malkuth murders." Guy shuddered at the thought, that the little boy who only wanted to make him happy had been the cause of his family's destruction.

"Can we hide him?" Asch watched with hopeful eyes that Luke wouldn't have to leave, not yet! It wasn't his fault he couldn't help but wonder about his past, and now that his past has answered him, he was being chased!

"I think me and Luke are going to have to leave for awhile Asch… I'm sorry…"

Asch's eyes widened in disbelief, ignoring Guy's protests and rolling Luke over onto his stomach.

"Lorelei? I know you are in there! Before I gave you my name… You told me something… You told me you would never leave me, right? That I would be the key… You told me you would stay forever as long as I was happy!" Asch was gently shaking Luke's shoulders; occasionally Luke's hand would twitch in response to his twin's attempts.

"Hey Asch, he isn't gonna wake up for awhile, him and Lorelei are the same person, he is probably still piecing together his old personality." Guy placed his hand on Asch's shoulder, and shook his head.

Asch continued to ignore Guy's words, hoping that maybe inside of Luke's still form, Lorelei could hear him, and he would give Luke back.

"I won't be happy if Luke has to go away, Luke only wants me to be happy, he wants it more then his own happiness, and if Guy has to take him away, I'll lose them both… Lorelei… Please do something!" Asch's vision was beginning to blur, the tears were stinging, but it wasn't as bad as the ache that threatened to rip apart his happiness.

"Asch… It's the only way to keep him safe… Van can easily come here and grab him, I have to get him somewhere safe, The Order won't help us if Luke is disowned." Guy pulled the small redhead close, the child he had grown to recognize as a younger brother in the times of his stay.

Though their time together was brief, Luke had created bonds between his family members stronger then they had before his arrival, and now they were all going to be torn apart.

Guy tensed up, hearing the voice of the Duke as it approached his room.

"I'm going to definitely speak with the boy about the unspeakable acts he is being accused of… I will not tolerate that in my house!"

A white knight barked out a reply, his voice as gruff as the Duke's.

"I'm sorry Asch…" Guy mumbled, pulling the noble into a tight hug. Asch tried to sniff away his tears, but if Father discovered them here, in Guy's room, and after the rumor that Luke is the murderer, Luke and Guy would be gone, possibly even punished for keeping the secrets they held.

Luke stirred from the commotion outside, his body flinched with the realization that his family was in danger.

'I desire my family's safety Lorelei; it is my will to protect them.'

Luke's eyes snapped open, the power to defend Guy and Asch suddenly flowing through his body.

Guy and Asch gasped when a red flame appeared on the ground near Luke's feet, as he helped himself up off the ground.

'_Only one fonon can cross, Earth will have to do.'_

'Thank you… Lorelei…'

"Let's get out of here, okay?" Luke offered both of his hands to his quivering family, as the heavy footsteps of the guards became louder.

"Are you… Luke?" Asch glanced up nervously at the hand he was offered.

"Of course I am! We can talk about what happened when we are safe, okay?" Luke extended his arm further, glancing at Guy for some nod of forgiveness for what he had done.

Guy tossed aside his painful memories and grabbed Luke's hand, and in turned glimpsed over to Asch, hoping that maybe he would do the same.

"This is the real you! I knew you would come!" Luke glanced behind him, reinforcing Guy's door with a spark from the red fire surrounding his feet.

"You gave me your name Asch… Of course I would come back! Because I knew you Asch, if only in your dreams… Me and Lorelei were able to survive, and finally unite." Luke's smile widened, even though the eminent danger of being discovered still loomed over all three of the children's heads.

"Let's go then, okay? Me and Guy can't stay here anymore." Asch nodded, placing his hand on top of Guy's, and the three children all smiled at one another.

"Just close your eyes, things might look a bit scary where we are going." The red flame dancing around Luke's feet flared up, engulfing the three in its red haze.

When the guards finally were able to knock down the barricades Luke had formed to protect his family, all that remained the was smirking face of the Impostor as his body sunk into the wood floorboards, with the noble and his caretaker pulled in close.

* * *

Asch took a deep breathe when Luke told him it was okay to open his eyes. Glancing around him, he noticed that they weren't in the manor any longer. 

"Where are we?" Guy questioned, glancing around the area Luke had picked to emerge them from the safety of the earth.

"Safe."

Luke's answer was short, and it was obvious that the small boy was suffering from the extensive use of his newly obtained power.

'_With only the earth fonim, we can't unlock Asch's gift… We can't fight with only earth… Try and unseal the other six, okay?' _ Lorelei's voice faded away, taking with him the light in Luke's vision.

'I'm so weak now… How far did you take us?' Luke scrunched up his eyes, trying to feign off his own dizziness, but Guy and Asch knew him better then he gave them credit for.

"I left a note for mom, from both of us… I couldn't do much else with all of the seals still in place." Luke moaned, reaching up to grip his head. The red flame that had been circling his feet ever since his awakening in Guy's room started to sputter, which only added to the concern Guy and Asch were sending his way.

"There should… Be a town near here…" Luke wished his vision would stop swirling, but he couldn't have everything he wanted, not yet at least.

"To the… East…" Luke couldn't take it anymore. He closed his eyes to stop the whirlpool his vision had become, but was instead greeted with the ground harshly catching his limp body.

The red flame went out, but Guy and Asch had other problems on their hands.

The figure that had been observing the trio smile in satisfaction, before turning towards Daath, quite a bit of information was stirring in her head, just waiting to be revealed.

* * *

"But Yulia… I've heard that…" The CEO silenced the rare intrusion into her office. The woman before her, and her friend Jade were the only two stealthy enough to successfully enter Yulia's office, but this time… Yulia planned to have this new arrival escort her from her prison. 

"It doesn't matter what you have heard… No doubt the information came from Mohs?" Yulia spat out the advisor's name, before locking eyes with the young girl in front of her.

"He is my superior though, I haven't had been able to contact you since Ion's creation! What was I to believe Aunt Yulia?" The young girl huffed, before turning her face away defiantly.

"Tear, I took you into the Order because when you went to return home, there wasn't a home there. I didn't do it because I knew you had inherited the family hymns as I had, but because I knew you had no one else. I may not be a good stand in, but you have to believe me that I'm slowly dying as they keep me in here Tear…" Yulia held her head in her hands, the picture of her deceased brother, the proof that her family really had been destroyed, even before the murders.

"Do you know who commissioned the weapon? I saw the sacred flame not far from here, in Malkuth territory though. I thought he was living in a noble's home?" Tear, in all her youthful teenage glory, was a spy working for Yulia, although she was still under Moh's command, she reported to Yulia the truth, while Moh's may only get a whiff of what truly transpired.

"I'm positive that you don't want to know Tear." Yulia huffed. _He looks a lot like you, only that innocence has long since been washed away…_

"We were all innocent once." Tear stated, locking eyes with her aunt. It was Van's motto, back when they all lived together on Hod. Yulia nodded her head sadly, but Tear showed no surprise.

"I'll kill him. I'll kill my brother then." Tear remained stoic, facing her silent aunt with righteous anger. "He took away the only home we have ever known, he doesn't deserve to live, after killing all those people."

Yulia agreed, glancing at the portrait of her and Ion, back when Jade was innocent, when she was innocent, even when Tear was innocent… and when she had a home.

* * *

**A/N: **Bleh Bleh Bleh I just wish this story would hurry up!! I'm going to cause bodily harm to myself tonight to get some more of this prepared, and finish/rewrite my other two stories. I might actually wait though because this one is just too good still. I do have some dangerous ideas boiling for a crack!Naruto story, and if you knew me personally, that would mean danger! danger! (high voltage!!) 

I really like that song :D  
Why am I so lazy!! Someone help me D:

I may act really goofy, but I'm just crying out for some lovin!! Send me some PM's guys, i feel like we are strangers or something! We should get to know each other... a lot since this story will definetly not end anytime soon (sadly for me D: ...I have to type it all) I'm going to watch some Food Network and slave away for all of you who laugh at my cries for attention D: I HOPE YOU ALL FEEL MY PAIN!

And if you actually read any of the above I'm in a fantastic mood and I don't know why, so I'm sharing the love :D


	13. Meaning

**Meaning **

* * *

Luke awoke slowly in a bed he didn't know, without Asch to his left. At first he was startled, followed quickly by fear, but Lorelei calmly assured him everything was alright.

When the weight shifted, and Asch's unruly bed head came into view, Luke could finally believe Lorelei's words. Asch groggily smiled at Luke before curling up into his brother's side.

Upon closer inspection, Luke noticed that Guy had managed to drag his unconscious form all the way to the nearby town, though he was still unsure as to its name. The blond was curled up asleep on the other bed; all of the few belongings Guy had managed to gather for their departure were pilled on the floor near him.

Lorelei hummed contently in the back of Luke's mind, but his communication to Lorelei was much freer, the strange resident representing Luke's power seemed to respond to every fleeting question to cross the redhead's mind.

"_Go back to sleep Luke… It is still the dead of night… And your family traveled through the harsh daylight to bring you to safety…"_ Lorelei's words made Luke's eyes feel heavy, as deep within, Luke was sure he desired to fall asleep with his twin, and Lorelei never failed to bring these desires to the surface.

'Please Lorelei… Make this journey easy for my family… They have given up a lot for us…' Luke felt Lorelei's smile as he closed his eyes, allowing himself to be encompassed in his brother's warmth. He pulled the thick blankets over his brother and himself, for goose bumps were already beginning to surface on his pale skin.

Even in the darkness of his dreams, Luke could feel the power of Lorelei's mysterious hyperresonance (as Ion had called it) when it lit up the room. But it was late as his other self had so kindly reminded him, and maybe the colorful escape of his dream world wasn't as bad as it sounded.

* * *

Tear had checked out two rooms in her name earlier that day, instructing the kindly woman behind the desk to give her 'companions' one of the rooms upon their arrival.

They moved slow though, Tear had commented to herself as she finally arrived, following her trip to Daath. Jade had intercepted Yulia and Tear as they made their escape, but Tear was no match for the Colonel.

She silently cursed as she pulled off the gloves she wore to protect her hands from the wooden staff she carried. It was standard issue, as were the gloves, but she desired a steel staff, with an adorable pair elegant gloves. She did have an affinity for cute things after all.

Tear soundlessly slipped into her night clothes, her ears trained on any disturbances in the room nest to her.

Although Jade had removed Yulia from her care, Tear still had the mission of protecting the sacred flame, and eventually to destroy her brother.

They were Yulia's orders, and they were absolute. The fleeting regret Tear would feel over killing her brother was just that… fleeting. Yulia was more family to her now, and her only family was dying, caged in the very Order she helped establish. After Jade's banishment, Tear was all the remained, but even she was unable to prevent the caging of her aunt, in the name of 'safety' as Mohs had put it.

Tear cursed the name of her superior as she crawled into her bed, leaning gently against the wall that separated her from her unknowing charges. By morning, the power of Lorelei that had gently flooded the room would have faded, and she would have another full day of tracking to do.

It had taken her many hours to find the sacred flame, even with her unique anilities and his unique fonon signature, but he was a stronghold of defense towards him and his proclaimed family, the two he traveled with. Only when the flame of Lorelei's active powers died out was she able to see them, cleverly disguised as the surrounding forest, until the small tree fell over, and it's humanity revealed itself.

"No wonder Van was able to move so effectively with the child, his abilities are unthinkable…" Tear whispered to herself, allowing herself a simple sigh as she realized the only way to ever overpower the child was to knock him out.

"And Van has the ability to do just that…"

The family's hymns were no doubt a gift, a bloodline ability they had gained and discovered unknowingly one day, generations ago. But when Van caught wind of the Order… Even the powerful Jue family had its glory seized.

* * *

"Would you mind explaining to me why you tried to escape Yulia?" Jade sighed heavily, settling against the heavy door he had secured behind him. Yulia fumed from the other side of her desk, rearranging the trinkets she had gathered with her for her escape.

"I can't stay here Jade. I want to see Ion… I want to see him and tell him everything before I die…" Yulia hid her face in her hands, the picture of the only living Ion her only comfort.

Jade was shocked with Yulia's confession, but he shook his head anyway.

"I know you want to leave Yulia, but this is years of work you don't want to throw away! You have to remember Yulia; Ion is _not_ your brother." Jade huffed, moving to stand across the heavy wooden desk from Yulia. "You aren't dying either, why do you believe that?"

"I can't sing in here, and it's in my blood to carry the hymns! The longer I remain trapped, the more I feel like I'm worthless." Yulia's head rested on her desk, her entire body was slumped dejectedly as she carefully eyes Jade out of her visible eye.

"So you aren't tearing yourself up over the Impostor I created for you then?" Jade sighed, his hands gripped the edges of Yulia's desk. He knew it was unfair, she shouldn't be trapped in this place like she was, it wasn't even healthy for her to never see true sunlight!

"I can talk to Ion, he is like Tear… They are the family I can't have any longer. I just wish I was free, I want Mohs gone, it's me or him now Jade…" Yulia was dead serious when she made her threat. Jade knew the tone of voice she used was rare, which put him a little on edge.

"And how do you plan to go about this? I can't simply walk out there and tell him you desire him to leave and never come back." Jade shivered at the thought of all the guards he would definitely have to fight when Mohs caught sight of him in the Order again.

"We gave Ion full knowledge of Project Lorelei, as a backup incase something ever happened to the plans, correct? He is the only one who knows the truth about that boy; you did code your work, correct Jade?" Yulia smirked dangerously, an idea suddenly popping into her head.

"Are you saying that perhaps Van does not know something that we may or may not have programmed into out little Ion?" Jade's own curiosity skyrocketed when Yulia mentioned Ion's birth.

"We did fill the boy's head with all sorts of nonsense, but no doubt his latest mission has him questioning him knowledge. I sent him to awaken the sacred flame's power." Yulia grinned dangerously, pulling herself out of her self-imposed depression.

"And how did it go? No doubt the self-defense seals resisted your attempts." Jade smirked; it was a dangerous game he was playing with Yulia now.

"Actually, the mission report was quick surprising. One of the seals was already broken, no doubt entirely an accident, but with one gone…" Yulia cheerfully hinted Jade in the correct path, producing the mission report Ion had left, different from Anise's.

"So he used to Earth Fonim to erase his old name? Was Lorelei aware of what he was doing at the time? I'm sure he must have been seeing as he initiated hyperresonance." Jade curiously studied the mission report; the findings were no doubt monumental to him and his long time research partner, Yulia.

"Then the transfer between Asch and Luke still remains a mystery, but we can only hope that he still responds to his innate behaviors. Lorelei isn't a dominant force, he has no free will which is the only reason Luke exists." Yulia was proud of her knowledge, she was able to prod Ion for everything he knew once he returned from the mission with Anise, and the resulting information had successfully jogged her own memory.

Jade was a different story, as Yulia wasn't sure if he ever forgot about Van's outstanding betrayal or not, but the way his eyes flicked back and forth over the mission report stated otherwise.

"It's a very sloppy report, but the information he was able to collect is astounding!" Jade smirked, setting the report back on Yulia's desk, and facing his partner head on for the first time since her attempted escape.

"He did recently use the power of the Earth fonim to escape from the manor, as Tear reports. They were able to travel underground with Lorelei's help." Yulia paused, mulling over what she could say about what happened at the manor to elicit their escape.

"So the hyperresonance really worked then? I never thought it was possible, even if we created a will for Lorelei, I never thought he could pull it off." Jade adjusted his glasses, still wondering about how Lorelei had managed to discover that useful ability in his arsenal.

"What does it do really? Tear cocked her head to the side, as the vital details of what Lorelei's ultimate power was had never fully been discussed.

"While researching the fonon signature of the will-less Lorelei, you and I discovered that he could never exist without a will, a driving force, he would essentially cease to exist, with no purpose, Lorelei would return to the fonbelt." Jade removed his glasses, cleaning them on a rag he had produced from his pocket. "I never told anyone I had discovered hyperresonance… And I'm glad I didn't. It has the ability to use fonons to do things normal people and normal fonic artes can't… like altering appearance and clairvoyant abilities. It's terribly hard to control, which is why I doubt Lorelei will become an issue…"

"It's Luke you are worried about... Even the childhood innocence we tried to give him will be corrupted someday… He won't stay young forever…" Yulia watched Jade's movements curiously. The Colonel replaced his glasses atop his nose where they belonged, but the light for the horridly ugly lamps Yulia despised was blocking his eyes with that horrible glare.

"His mind will continue to grow beyond his body, which is why I fear he will use the hyperresonance to artificially age him and his companions. If Lorelei controls the process, all should go over well, but I'm afraid of the consequences, as well as the true meaning behind that power… behind the hyperresonance…"

* * *

**A/N: **Through the ages we will be pioneers! Man, I'm in a good mood. I haven't really read this chapter through, I'm too busy rocking out to I'm A Pioneer from Tenchi Muyo. I finally got around to writing my Naruto story. I was really disappointed with the way it turned out, but I'll accept it. I called it 'I'm a pioneer' :D

LEAVE ME REVIEWS I'M SO LONELY. I GET ALL THESE HITS AND NO REVIEWS D: D: D:

It makes me so sad D:


	14. We've Grown

**We've Grown**

**A/N:** Geez, I didn't know what to write about here. I mean this chapter by here too lol. I didn't know what I wanted to happen yet, because I know what I want to happen later on, but now? What can I have happen now that won't draw away fro the plot? Other then their aging so they all finally match their game ages, but that has other purposes as well. You'll see :D I GIVE EVERYTHING AWAY IN THE AUTHOR'S NOTES DON'T I!!!!

D:

* * *

Lorelei smiled contently as he channeled the power of his hyperresonance. He wanted to surprise Luke, and he wanted to gain the trust of his companions.

As much as Lorelei didn't want to admit it, he truly had been the Malkuth Murderer, not Luke. He killed millions, he razed entire cities, and he left child like Guy with no families to return to.

So here he was, the tainted power of the sacred flame, helping his innocence grow up and mature. He would change their outward appearance, for as long as the sacred flame burned bright Lorelei could continue to protect them with their disguises.

And Lorelei couldn't be happier. He was exposing the controller of this deadly power to the cruelty of the world, in a matter of hours, the years of youth he was stealing from the three children was nothing more then another causality.

Lorelei had no will, no conscience. He obeyed orders, and Luke's unspoken orders were stronger then his verbal requests.

But those nonverbal commands, fleeting emotions, they are dangerous, and Lorelei knows that. He knows that in a moment of anger Luke could destroy an entire city. Van can also force Luke to act rashly.

If Van gets too close to Luke, there is no doubt he will seal him away again, and this time, forever, and Lorelei knows this. But with no will of his own, he can only bend to _his_ will, Lorelei will only answer to himself; Luke, because no one else matters. No one else is important, only Luke.

Luke's limbs continued to grow as the golden hue of Lorelei's power washed over him and his family.

Yes, Luke was losing his childish innocence, but for what? His fleeting happiness? Where all emotions this strange, Lorelei wondered, Can I feel emotions too?

* * *

It was morning, and as the glow of hyperresonance faded, the glow of the sun filtered into the room.

The three companions awoke, awkward in their own bodies, stumbling around their room until one of them had the brain to fully open his eyes.

"Luke… You've grown… A lot…" Asch stopped packing up his belongings to stare at his faltering brother. Luke was stumbling to adjust to his longer arms and legs, his increased height, and no doubt the fact that he seemed to have skipped puberty (if Impostor's even had that… Asch thought darkly.)

"You too…" Luke replied, his voice was deeper and more mature, no doubt a side-effect of his over-night aging.

"Guy too?" Asch questioned, wobbling over towards their adopted father's bedside. Guy was still escaping the clutches of a deep sleep, but the changes on his were also very noticeable.

They had all aged at least nine years, and Luke was having a hard time staying conscious.

"I must have done this… On accident… I'm sorry…" Luke allowed his body to fall back onto the much smaller bed he and Asch had shared the night before. They couldn't comfortably share that bed now, but it was still good enough to catch Luke's fall.

"You are just learning about your powers now, it's alright Luke!" Guy pushed himself out of the twin sized bed he had claimed for himself, truly understanding how awkward the twin boys felt in their new bodies.

Luke yawned, a bit shocked at how his clothing had even expanded with his own body. His collar hadn't adjusted itself though, and it was pulling tightly against Luke's pale neck.

He reached up and tugged at it, hoping maybe a little pressure would be enough to loosen it, but Guy noticed his turmoil before Luke had the chance to find out.

"I'll fix that for you Luke; I'm surprised it just started bothering you!" Guy successfully stumbled over to the twin bed, while Asch continued to pack their belongings. He was lucky he and Luke remained twins, even though the influence of Lorelei's power, because he hadn't brought any clothes of his own.

"I would just take the damn thing off, but there are Impostor guards that could sense you from miles away, we would be arrested before we knew it." Guy ruffled Luke's hair, before standing and stretching his new appendages. His body may have been larger, but his mind was still young.

"It's alright Guy, I understand." Luke said, falsely cheery. He was screaming inside, asking to be human like Asch and Guy, but Lorelei gently reassured him there was nothing anyone could do at that point. He had been born an Impostor, and for the rest of his lifespan, he would remain that way.

'You can change my appearance, but you can't change my body composition!?' Luke shouted at Lorelei within his mind. On the outside, he was smiling; carrying on idle chatter with his caretaker and twin, but Lorelei could see how much it hurt him to still be different.

"_Just like the earth, you are made of what you are, all of us exist for a reason, and your birth as an Impostor was destiny, we would never meet had you not been created as my will. We couldn't save the world without you…" _Lorelei's voice was like a fading dream, as his words sunk in.

"Where to now guys? We never really planned this out…" Guy hoisted his and Luke's travel bag onto his back, and ushered the two teens out of the room.

The door to the room adjoining was cracked, and Tear watched the three children file down to the lobby. She pressed a button on her uniform, and got herself packed to leave the inn. The messenger would be arriving to take her report back to Yulia, since she had been caught escaping with the CEO.

"This could be the biggest shock The Order, and all of Auldrant are going to receive…" Tear mused to herself, tossing her discarded shoe at the door to secure it closed.

She threw it a little harder then she had planned, but right now, she was a mess.

* * *

"I think heading anywhere in Kimlasca-Lanvaldear will definitely blow our cover, but since you two are nobles, we need to lay low, wherever we are…" Guy enjoyed a cup of hot tea while Luke and Asch stuffed themselves full of the free breakfast foods.

"And don't eat too much now… All of this is going to weigh you down; I imagine we are going to be doing a lot of walking…" Guy scolded. He fell into the role of caretaker for both children as soon as he realized how the Duke was going to react to Luke, and how it would destroy Asch.

Guy held no malice for Luke for what he had done, because he knew what others didn't. He knew what Luke was like on the inside, a scared child crying out for purpose in life, he was a sacred flame that was struggling to burn as brightly as it was expected of him, but the wind kept sputtering him out.

One thing Guy did hold malice towards, were those who had created Luke, created him using Lorelei's sacred fonon signature, to make him a tool, instead of a being. He hated Van for the destruction of his Hod, he hated the Duke for not loving Luke like the son he tried to be, and he hated the people of Auldrant who believed Luke wasn't human.

Luke's eyes caught Guy's, and there was a flash of gold.

"_You see me as a human being… And I can never thank you enough for that…"_ The words reached Guy's ears only, and that alone was startling enough to cause the blond to choke on his tea.

Luke broke eye contact once his caretaker began coughing, instead focusing on the tea in his hand.

"Hey Guy… You shouldn't try to inhale your tea!" Luke giggled, which would have been strange behavior had he not been a seven year old in a seventeen year olds body.

"Ha ha, thank you Luke. I guess I just wasn't paying attention. Thank you for your kind word's of wisdom though." Guy eyed the boy cautiously, a bit concerned at how he had been able to speak directly into his mind, and even picked up on his train of thought! It wasn't something he had been expecting, not since the headaches and the blackouts stopped.

He honestly hadn't heard Lorelei's voice in a long time, and he was wondering if Lorelei still held the ability to communicate with the outside world.

It was Lorelei whose flames burned at Luke's feet, when under stress and extreme emotions, Luke could make those flames appear, but who controlled what happened once the flames were lit? Was it Luke who had taken them to safety?

Or was Lorelei the one who acted on Luke's behalf?

"_Does it please you?"_

This time Guy was a bit more prepared. He had set his tea cup down when he received the first message, but the second one seemed like a playback from Luke's earlier days. He hadn't said that since he had developed a more complex thought process, since he had been able to override the original Impostor principals of servitude.

'Does it please you?' Guy thought, hoping that maybe Luke could hear him. The boy was in a vivid conversation with his brother about how much stronger they had probably gotten because of his power, and Asch was betting he was still the strongest of the two.

They would definitely be arguing through the day, possibly the entire day and into the night, but Guy wasn't concerned about that. He was more worried about The Luke he heard in his mind, the Luke who could speak in strange riddles, who was still the desperate boy looking for recognition for who he was.

"_To make you and Asch happy, to keep you both safe. That is what pleases me."_


	15. Sacred Flame

**Sacred Flame**

**A/N:** Yes. It has been a long time since you all saw me, and no, I don't really have a good reason.  
I had no idea what in the world I was going to do with the space inbetween the middle of this story and ending, as I had only written those two parts extensively. So I spent many days jotting notes down as they came to me, and this was the output. I'm still not telling the truth, because there really isn't a truth yet.

But there is the general idea of what's happening, and I'm pretty sure everything is going to match up nicely :D

* * *

The trio, Asch, Guy and Luke, all wandered aimlessly around the unknown Malkuth territory. They were a good day and a half away from the Malkuth capital, so Guy decided it would be a good idea to head their first.

There were some things still bothering the human members of their small party though, mostly about Luke's ability to change their ages and his lack of understanding as to why it happened. The Impostor kept up his smile and idle chatter as they walked a well traveled road, but he was wondering too… Was Lorelei as dangerous as he had once been?

If all it took was one thought from Luke to add at least ten years from their physical bodies, if Luke's anger ever surfaced, what would Lorelei do?

And Asch and Guy wondered the same thing.

"Do you want revenge against Van, for what he did to you?" Asch finally asked, curious to just how much hate Luke was possible of.

"I might. I want to know why he did it first, why would he force me into hibernation just to get to Lorelei? Impostor's like me can be trained to a variety of tasks, but instead he chose to create and then seal me away." Luke said, a deep frown marring his ever present smile.

You frowned as well, while Guy's face twisted up in confusion. The blond knew everything there was to know about artificial humans, about different companies and different models, and about how close The Order had come to replicating human beings.

But from his knowledge, it wasn't possible to seal away an impostor's mind, unless it had never been awakened to begin with…

"Do you remember anything Luke? Anything from before Ion and Anise found you?" Guy pulled back a bit, so he could walk on Luke's side, that wasn't occupied by Asch.

"Nothing… I don't believe I existed before Lorelei began to betray Van. I was starting to wake up, when Lorelei accidentally made contact with Asch, part of my consciousness was probably starting to influence Lorelei, and thus he sealed away his power to force me to wake up." Luke tugged uncomfortably at the leather collar around his neck, knowing very well that Guy and Asch were staring at him, astonished.

"Does… Lorelei tell you all this?" Asch questioned, a little wary of just what Luke knew and didn't know.

"He doesn't tell me a lot, to tell you the truth. He doesn't speak to me very much. Maybe I'm not supposed to speak to him, I don't really understand how it works…" Luke nervously scratched his cheek, hoping to drop the subject of his and Lorelei's connection, because even Luke wasn't too sure about it…

"I can tell you what I know…" Guy suggested, a little desperate to get a fuller understanding of Luke and the disembodied voice that occasionally speaks to him.

It's a little psychotic, having to remind himself that sometimes what he presumes is Lorelei's voice speaks to him, but wasn't about to complain to Lorelei. He could bury him so far under the earth he would be found…

Luke and Asch both turned their attention from the path in front of them to the blond caretaker, who was now doubling for their babysitter.

"Well, project Lorelei would have taken place long before you and I were born, the attempt to bring the only being known with the ability to eliminate the miasma and severely cut the monster's numbers down, and that was Lorelei. But Lorelei isn't human, and therefore can't even be created as a human; he would destroy himself to return to the Fon Belt.

"There was an idea, to give Lorelei a host, so he wouldn't be human, but the body his power inhabited would be. The only draw back would be that the human host chosen would become a slave to his creator's, as Lorelei wouldn't respond to anyone but the one with his exact fonic signature. So a being with Lorelei's fonic signature was created, and from what I understand, before you were awaken at two months, like all Impostor's are, your creator's bypassed the need for you, in exchange for your body, sealing you away inside of Lorelei to continue resting until awakened." Guy couldn't ignore the shocked stares he was being given from his left, so he didn't.

"What?" He questioned, trying his hardest not to laugh at how large Luke's eyes had become.

"How do you know all this!" Asch almost screeched, though he would later deny his voice can even reach that high.

"I worked in the order from the time of my home's destruction, I did some digging for the CEO, but unfortunately, that was the about the time they sealed her off into her own wing, so she had no communication with the outside world. I never would have guessed project Lorelei was the one used to destroy all those villages, or that Luke would be _the_ project Lorelei…." Guy shrugged, continuing on past the shocked Asch and Luke.

"Yulia…" Luke suddenly whispered, drawing both his caretaker and twin's attention.

"Yes… That's the CEO's name…" Guy cautiously replied, wondering what significance the name held to the strange youth.

"She… is important… that's all." Luke turned away from his companions and continued down the path, not once looking back to see if they were following.

* * *

"Why is she important?" Luke asked Lorelei, in the burning village of Lorelei's prison.

"_She can release me back to fon belt while leaving you intact here, thus restoring balance." _Lorelei stretched lazily, laying back into the dried remains of a long burnt home.

"Is that… Good?" Luke cautiously sat down as well, trying to avoid getting ashes on his mental self.

"_Eventually Luke, you will absorb the entirety of my being on Auldrant, which is incredibly important. When you do so, I can freely return to where I belong, and you can carry out my will, without me here to act out your will. I don't know right from wrong Luke, I'm very dangerous." _Lorelei's golden eyes slipped closed as another building collapsed, the flames licking at its supports finally tearing away it's last legs.

Luke flinched as new embers rose to dance in the heated air, but he was growing unnaturally used to the destruction around him. Perhaps a bit desensitized, but Luke wasn't aware such a thing existed.

"You only want what I want, right? I'm not dangerous; I know to control myself, right? And if I don't ask you something, you don't have to do it… right?" Luke stretched out his legs, a little curious how his body was fairing without his consciousness there to steer it.

"_Wrong, you are dangerous, and as long as this flawed relationship between the two of continues, I cannot deny your desires, unconscious or not. Did you ask to appear older?" _Lorelei glanced at Luke out of the corner of his eye, awaiting the answer even though he knew it already.

Luke's eyes widened, as he tried to recall the brief conversation he had with Lorelei the night before, but he was unsuccessful at recalling the words he so desperately needed to hear.

"_You didn't. I acted on your desire to make your journey easier, and thus, made the decision on my own. Until the seven fires of complete fonon control burn for you Luke, what we do is in the hands of your subconscious."_ Lorelei closed his eyes and allowed the overwhelming heat surrounding him to take a physical form. Six flames circled his body, while one empty lantern interrupted the rotation.

Luke nervously eyed his own surroundings, seeing the occasional flash of the lone flame as it danced around him. Six dull lanterns accompanied the single flame, each with a symbol corresponding to Lorelei.

"The Earth fonim…" The flames rotation stopped, revealing it's symbol to the curious redhead. It was a simple mountain, with a jagged line at the top, representing snow.

Lorelei nodded, stopping the rotation around him to reveal the empty lantern, with the identical symbol.

"_When all seven lanterns burn for you, you will have my gift to you, your full power, and compensation for the life you have lived because of me. I have another gift for you, but only half of it is usable due to a flaw in my planning." _ Lorelei flicked his wrist and both sets of flames vanished, as Lorelei had control over small things in his domain.

"Is it the reason I can feel others pain?" Luke ran a hand through his hair, pulling on a bunch of tangles he found.

"_My last gift to you, the last fire, is sealed away with someone very close to you. I had hoped that once he learned of me, it would be released, as it is the most powerful, but I was mistaken. I do not know the conditions needed to retrieve it, as I had no part in it's sealing…"_ Lorelei made a thoughtful noise, before stretching his limbs and sitting up.

"_Time to return. You will encounter some monsters soon, and you will need the power of a fonim you have not unlocked yet. I gave you earth, to help your imminent journey, it was as simple as learning my true name really." _Lorelei smiled at his own cleverness, or what he believed it to be.

Luke took the opportunity to notice that Lorelei had no tag like he did, even in his own mind he was never without his Impostor license and identification.

"_Now go. You need wind, but will you be able to hear it as it desperately tries to break through to you? Hear it's voice and it's power is yours…"_ Lorelei gave Luke a rare smile as the burning village around him shattered, leaving Luke in the black void of his subconscious.

He blinked his eyes a few times, adjusting to the change of scenery as quickly as possible. Guy and Asch were walking silently beside him, unaware of his trip into Lorelei's domain.

"There are monsters ahead, we should be prepared… I believe confrontation is unavoidable…" Luke reached behind him to see if the old left-handed blade Guy had forced upon him was readily accessible.

Both Guy and Asch fell into their battle stances, but Luke back away, cautiously hiding himself behind his two companions.

Guy glanced over his shoulder, a little worried for the strangely silent Impostor, but his senses warned him danger was approaching. He pulled out the slightly dull blade he carried for sparring with Asch, and the noble did the same.

"Are you alright Luke?" Asch asked his twin a low voice, the monsters attempts at stealth were giving away their location, and no doubt their small party was all aware of their attackers' locations.

"I can't fight them…" Luke whispered back, his nerves screaming at him to run as the miasma beasts drew nearer. Guy and Asch tensed when Luke drew his sword awkwardly, but the Impostor only continued to hide himself behind his allies.

"What do you mean Luke! You have your sword! And you can use fonic artes much better then I can!" Asch shuddered when he heard another twig snap, a little off from where he heard the crunching of leaves a few seconds earlier.

"There is more then one Luke; we can't fend them off without you!" Guy moved back a bit, hoping to provide a bit more protection for Luke's terrified self.

"My earth fonons can't touch them! That's all I can use! And not even Lorelei can summon fonons with the barrier blocking everything else!" Luke gasped, squeezing his eyes shut when he realized his outburst had spurred their silent stalkers into action.

Four earth golems, of moderate strength burst through the tree line, and Luke was positive he felt the breeze still, erasing all chances he had at hearing the wind's voice.


	16. Quick Thinking

Usual Dosage

**Quick Thinking**

**A/N:** So I've decided to spend all evening after I finish this chapter editing the previous fifteen chapters since I've made a lot of careless grammar mistakes and some of my dialogue is a little bland. Well, that was the best I could do when I started writing that story, but it's been a while, hasn't it? I'm trying to get back into it though! Give me a little time to get my act together and I'll be churning out something worth reading! :3 :3

AND I'VE PUT THIS OFF FOR SO LONG. PLEASE SOMEONE FORGIVE ME. I CAN'T BELIEVE I LET THIS HAPPEN!

* * *

Lorelei opened his eyes in a world he hadn't seen in a long time.

_This is the outside…_ Lorelei briefly thought to himself, allowing his eyes to scan the frozen outside world.

The miniature Gnome that resided within Luke with the sentience eagerly bounced on his shoulder, sizing up the earthen rock monsters.

_We aren't here to fight… We need to discover where the Sylph have vanished to. Luke and his friends are hopeless without them… _Lorelei pat Gnome's head, smiling softly at the purring noise it made.

Lorelei clapped his hands together, only hard enough to make a soft sound, and stepped his essence outside of Luke's body. He turned and looked at his created host's body, a frown quickly marring his amused expression.

_His fear drives away the winds, and the Sylph know that fear can lead to disaster. Perhaps we can convince them to give my dear one a chance. I can't draw fonons myself, even out here. My presence will destroy poor Luke's mind, and once again, I will be without a will, this world will be doomed. _Lorelei ran a hand through his ghostly hair, ignoring the fact that his fingers had failed to grab any hair at all.

_I wonder just how far these fonons will sustain themselves outside of Luke's body…_

The fluttering of wings answered Lorelei's question, as some flying sentience approached.

"Lorelei! Lorelei!" Came the shrill cry of a small fairy-like being. Three creatures to be exact, came whizzing out of the trees, straight towards the dim apparition of Lorelei.

_Hello dears, I'm glad you still answered my call, no matter how weak it was. _Lorelei held up his hand, preventing the fairies from flying any closer, lest they realize Lorelei was nothing more then an illusion.

"Just where have you been Lorelei! You've been gone for many planet years! And why do these children trapped in time look so much like you?! Huh Lorelei?" The Sylph took turns throwing questions at Lorelei, increasingly becoming frantic as the truth of the situation began to sink in.

"So they really did go throw with that plan, didn't they? And you aren't really Lorelei then… Just his power, trapped in a clone of the noble boy. He had his heart set on war, didn't he?" Slowly, the fairies closed in on the frozen form of Luke.

_Can you undo the seal then? I understand you would have liked to see Luke ask you for your help instead of myself, but it's dire. If he dies, I'll become will-less, and a weapon once more. I enjoy Luke's innocent and naïve mind; I wish not to be absorbed by any other. _

Lorelei turned around to face the buzzing Sylph and his host, slowly approaching until his face was only inches away from Luke's. He loosely wrapped his arms around Luke's frozen shoulders and brought his forehead to touch his fragments.

"We can restore his control of the wind fonons, it's a simple barrier you constructed, but how come you can't undo it? Asking us to do it is the same, isn't it?" The Sylph fluttered around the three frozen companions, careful not to disrupt the apparition of Lorelei.

_I constructed them, to keep Luke safe. My power alone is too great, his mind is weak from my elimination of his previous memories. He was created as a body to hold a massive power such as I, and I used these powers to suppress his presence. The past is starting to jumble together now; I can't honestly say what is a dream and what is reality._

The junction between Lorelei's ghostly self and Luke's forehead began to give off a soft glow, eerily visible through Lorelei's transparent form.

_If I am the reason for Luke's careless creation, if the possession of my fonon signature is going to harm the fragment of my soul, I wish not for it to happen. I'll protect him, and I'll grant his every wish, until my sins have been repented. Asch too, will play a crucial role. I can't yet explain what it is I need from him, I don't know myself, but I must protect him too. I need the power of all the sentiences, and together we will stop Van and the senseless creation of the Imposters whose soulless existence is entirely my fault. The surplus of seventh fonons required to create them is slowly disrupting the balance of fonons, and soon there will be devastating effects on this planet._

"We will help you Lorelei." Selphie emerged from the trio first to accept Lorelei's offer.

"I assume this is the last time you can do this then. I'm glad we got to see you at least one more time!" Yutis quickly added, joining her Sylph sister in addressing the sentience of Sound.

Fairess sighed, before nodding her head in agreement and holding her hand out in from of her. The lanterns of light appeared around both Lorelei's and Luke's feet, though he was frozen in time.

"I guess this is goodbye?" Fairess whispered, trying to hide her sadness as she slowly moved the fonons from Lorelei's fading body to Luke's frozen self.

_It's never goodbye. Just like gnome, your likeness and power will reside within Luke's mind with me, until every seal is undone. Your outer selves will fall into a slumber. Once he has proven his strength not only to the sentiences, but to myself, will I allow my being to be absorbed by his mind and the rest of you shall be set free to resume your duties here. We will meet again, when Luke ascends to join us as the chosen of Lorelei's strength, as well as the gifted individual who saved the world._

"I look forward to an eternity with you." Selphie called out, before her small fairy body exploded into a green shower of light, which was quickly absorbed by Luke. Yutis followed shortly after giving her goodbyes, leaving only a ghostly Lorelei and a downcast Fairess.

"You've have unlocked two seals already. Gnome's was a freebie." She muttered, pointing at the miniaturized version of Gnome that perched on Lorelei's shoulder like a faithful bird.

_Leaving Luke unable to function in the body of a seven year old was ridiculous. Of course I pulled some strings so he could at least protect himself from the start. Unfortunately, I wasn't planning on having to call the Sylph as well. But I thank you for understanding. You'll understand the way I operate once Luke grows stronger. He can collect the sentiences help himself, I'm afraid I can't sustain myself like this for long. Altering time was hard enough, but leaving Luke's body, I'm afraid, has drained most of my reserved fonons. _

"Let's go then. Your sacred flame needs our help, Save your strength for when Luke needs it, Gnome and the Sylph will protect him now." Fairess touched her small hand to Lorelei's cheek before disintegrating herself into Luke's body. The torches around Luke's feet stopped their spinning, revealing that the seal had successfully been removed. Luke had control of earth and wind fonons now, and Lorelei was one step closer to ending his miserable uncontrollable existence.

* * *

"Luke!" Guy's voice called out to the stunned redhead. A Golem made entirely of rock was about to smash his frail bones if he didn't react, and since he had no formal training with swordsmanship, his strength rested in his control of fonons, something no other being could do.

Luke shivered, and summoned a large wall of rock to protect him from the hit. While the Golem was busy pounding on the stone, Luke dashed away. The wind was whipping through his hair, but in his panic he missed the cries of three small fairies, all desperately trying to get his attention. The circling of lanterns around Luke's feet was spinning so fast in reaction to his panic, that neither him, nor his friends could see second acquired power.

'Lorelei! Help me! Help me! Earth can't defeat earth! I can't do this!' Luke panicked, his hair slowly taking on the golden tint that signaled Lorelei's powers were activated.

_Listen Luke! Ignore the golems for a second, stop running, and listen! The wind is here, it's with you, you just have to listen!_

Lorelei's voice cut out, and the golden glow that surrounded Luke quickly faded. Leaving a shaking Imposter in the face of the Earth monsters. Asch and Guy were doing their best to fight them off and away from Luke, but his running only attracted their attention, and they were currently trying to push past the novice swordsmen.

"Can you hear us Luke? Concentrate on our voices and bend our power to your will. Would you like the wind to cut down these earth creatures? Then command the wind to do so!" The Sylph's childish voices had become harsh, but also gentle as to not scare Luke. Though his body had grown, his mentality was still young, as his body was still new to the world. Quickly aging or not, Imposters of all kinds were always known to regress in times severe panic.

"The wind…" Luke whispered, closing his eyes and listening to the fonons dancing through the air around him. The trees rustled, and the grass swayed, but most of all, the rock beneath his feet trembled at the wind.

"Luke! Look out!" Asch cried, panicked as the golem he was holding off managed to break past him.

"The fonons are waiting for me…" Luke said calmly as he held out his palm to the approaching golem. Asch grew even more panicked, Luke couldn't defeat the golem with the same element it was created from!

The earth golem pulled back it's fist to smash poor Luke into a bloody mess, but instead of stopping, the earth golem's arm was pulled back, and then suddenly, the rest of the rock creature was shot backwards into a tree with such force the tree snapped the golem continued to fly.

The commotion was enough to distract the second golem from Guy, and the caretaker wasted no time quickly slicing at the soft earth that held the rock golem's body together.

The other two golems that were still standing were very confused at the strange turn of events, but didn't give up their pursuit for victory.

Luke didn't give up either, slamming his hands together, causing a tornado to whirl around him and his companions. The wind ripped at the rock golems weakly held together bodies, and the harsh winds effectively destroyed their presence.

The strength required to channel so many fonons through his body, and bend them to his will would have knocked out the poor Imposter for days, but with the help of Lorelei's stability, Luke remained standing after the blow.

"Luke…" Asch said cautiously, stepping closer to his brother with the same character as his words.

"I don't think…. I can do that again." Luke smiled, and let out a sigh before laughing softly to himself. "There aren't enough seventh fonons in the world to continue to sustain me and Lorelei's separate personalities; I'm going to have to start converting them myself…" Luke swayed a bit on his feet, before regaining his balance, with the help of his concerned caretaker.

"It appears…. Everyone else will lose the ability to channel fonons. I'll be the lone fonist until this is all over…" Luke's eyes glazed over a little as he stared at his brother's face. Asch tentatively reached a hand out to cup his brother's cheek, and was startled when Luke smiled at the contact.

"What happened there Luke? You had us both really worried!" Asch smiled back, grateful that Luke had managed to save both him and Guy from the overpowering earth golems. They were severely outnumbered and incredibly overpowered. Had Luke's fonons not kicked into overdrive, they wouldn't have been able to make it as unscathed as they had managed.

"I didn't know Lorelei only had a set amount of seventh fonons reserved, and I just sucked up a bunch. He was able to call the Sylph to transfer and unlock the seal on my wind fonons. Since it was dire, he couldn't refrain from acting, and thus, the barrier that keeps the two of us separate is prematurely deteriorating." Luke closed his eyes, but sighed loudly to show he had still managed to remain awake.

"I managed to cut off the use of fonons for everyone else, borrowing just a little bit more of Lorelei's power. If I can collect enough fonons, I can convert them into the seventh fonim to help keep the two of us from merging until the time is right." Luke groaned, tangling one of his hands into his hair and massaging his scalp.

"Is your head hurting? Do you think you might be experiencing IC?" Guy wasted no time, laying Luke down on the ground, using his own jacket as support for the Imposter's head.

"What is IC?" Asch questioned, trying not to interrupt the interactions between Guy and Luke.

"It's when an Imposter's brain goes over the maximum processing capacity they are capable of handling at once. Originally, it was processed to keep Imposter's from rebelling, as high anxiety activities such as treason require increased levels of brain activity. It's mostly been eliminated as submissiveness is implanted into their programming, and the levels have been increased dramatically. It's basically a debilitating pain because the brain cannot keep up with thoughts and experiences coming in." Guy focused on getting Luke to breathe more calmly, leaving Asch to his thoughts.

He had never imagined that so many measures were implicated to keep Imposter's in their place in society. He knew of the collars, and the Seekers that resembled dogs in their ability to track and retrieve rouge Imposters, but he never knew measures were implicated in their very design to keep them from advancing in society.

Asch noticed that the wind had picked up, and studied the sky for any signs of a storm coming. There were no clouds, but the steady breeze remained. The noble tried to figure out which way the wind was blowing in the event a storm not yet visible was coming, but instead discovered something much more interesting. The wind wasn't blowing in one direction, but instead all collecting at a single point.

"Luke…" Asch muttered quietly, crouching down by his brother's side. The crease in his brow seemed the lessen the more the wind blew towards him, and Asch could only suspect that beneath them the ground was also giving up some of it's fonons as well.

"I don't think it's the IC you were talking about…" Asch said cautiously to the fretting caretaker.

Guy spun around on his knees to face the noble, about to snap about he knew much more about the subject then he would probably ever, when he noticed the strange wind pattern as well.

"He was running dangerously low on seventh fonons then…" Guy gave a sigh of relief, but the reprieve was short lived.

"He won't be able to make many more seventh fonons using simply earth and wind, it requires all six elements to make a complete fonon…"


	17. Purpose

**Usual Dosage**

_Purpose_

**A/N:** LOOK AT WHAT I DID! I UPDATED WITHIN A MONTH OF MY LAST UPDATE! I've found that it doesn't actually take me that long to come up with a plot for each chapter, and writing them all out actually is kinda more fun then I remember. Maybe I'm just telling myself that because I'm going to have a SHIT LOAD OF TIME BETWEEN CLASSES THIS YEAR. I spend two whole days at one campus for three classes. I'll be there from 10 in the morning until nine thirty at night. For three classes. I was a little shell shocked when I registered this year. Good thing I'll have internet access and comfortable places to sit and do 'homework' and such. I've already taken three of my five classes, one is a concept class, and the other is my stupid English requirement. English may be my native language, but it is definitely not my strong point.

Enough rambling. I bring you a chapter! Enjoy!

P.S! THERE IS A POLL IN MY PROFILE! GO AND VOTE FOR WHICH ONE OF MY STORIES YOU WANT TO BE UPDATED NEXT! AND MAYBE READ SOME OF THE OTHER ONES! No one reviews like you guys do, I normally get a mission story alerts and not a single review on my other ones. That makes me feel a little down in the dirt sometimes.

Okay I'm done for real this time.

* * *

Luke was groggy and irritable when he woke up from his long 'hibernation' as Guy had so bluntly put it. Luke had been out cold, collecting fonons to try and reconstruct some of the damages he had inflicted.

Guy was quite confused with his ward's strange behavior, but he could only assume it was beyond his skills as a caretaker. Lorelei obviously had made a few mistakes when he created this master plan of his. With the amount of seventh fonons in Luke's body running low, it was only a matter of time before he started to show signs of his body dematerializing, even Guy knew that Imposter's fonons were not held together very strongly. Luke could sustain his mentality longer if he borrowed some fonons from his own body, but there was always the chance that those fonons could not be replaced, and that was what worried Guy the most.

"We have to go to the temples. Of Earth and Wind first, and then the others. I have to offer my thanks and my prayers, and then we have to go to the other temples to collect the other elements. Ice, Fire, Water, and Electricity. Light and Darkness too, although they have no fonons, their help could help us immeasurably." Luke wasn't making eye contact as often as Asch would have liked, and he knew that Luke was hiding something. He had basically grown up with the boy around, and could easily tell when something was off. Imposter's were also notorious for being as easy to read as an open book.

"There aren't any temples anymore." Guy sighed. All afternoon long since Luke had been strong enough to walk on his own, he would enter periods of silence, followed by impossible requests. He had wanted to visit all the cities, and meet Yulia of the Order, and even enter a few of the used Imposter dealerships. Luke had proper identification, so he was able to come and go to cities as he pleased, as long as he was in the company of his caretaker. It was the warrant the Fon Fabre family had probably issued on the lot of them that was Guy's problem there.

"We have to go to the mountains then and the windy valley as well. And from there I guess I can figure out where the others are located." Luke nodded in agreement with himself, and went back to moving around small pebbles with the help of his newly acquired wind fonons.

"Are you feeling alright?" Asch asked after a few moments of silence, and he knew he had struck something inside of Luke when the Imposter stopped walking, the jingling of his tags coming to a halt.

"I don't….. Feel like myself anymore." Luke lowered his head as he spoke, afraid of meeting his companions' eyes once more.

"Are you perhaps losing yourself to Lorelei?" Guy offered, a little afraid at the probability of what he said being actually true.

"No. We would both disappear. I feel like… I have all this power, something no normal Imposter would ever be able to achieve, and what am I doing with it? I'm using it to get more." Luke sighed, and using wind fonons, lifted a few small stones off the ground.

"There isn't anything I can do though. I'm an Imposter. We aren't human beings." Luke's fists tightened, and the stones were crushed into a powder under the force of the fonons.

Asch opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out were a few strangled attempts at forming words, before his shut his mouth and joined his twin in staring at the ground.

Guy knew his control on the situation was going to quickly nosedive into the cold unforgiving ocean if he didn't quickly come up with a plan. It was his job as a caretaker to make sure Luke was properly taken care of, and that meant as well that his happiness must be attended to as well.

"Well why don't you change that Luke?" Guy smiled at his own genius. Give Luke a task so monumental it will devour all his side-tracked thoughts and give Guy more time to think of how that task could be achieved.

"How do you propose I do that?" Luke smirked, finally meeting his caretakers eye's for the first time since his awakening earlier that afternoon.

Guy grimaced as his plan blew up in his face. Luke was clearly thinking one step ahead of him now, and Guy had to get back in the game before there were back to the beginning of their misery.

Guy started quickly formulating pans in his head, when Asch saved him from his embarrassment with a brilliant and plausible plan.

"Use the power you have acquired to help not only other Imposters, but to help other human beings as well. There are many unfortunate people would could use your help, and many Imposter's who could use the comfort of someone such as yourself." Asch had proposed the greatest idea Guy had ever heard, and he couldn't help but be a bit jealous it hadn't come from his brain instead of a child who was supposed to be years younger then him.

"That's…." Luke smiled, a genuine smile that sent a wave of relief over his companion.

"A great idea!"

_A great idea._

Luke's vision flashed gold, and he found himself facing Lorelei once again, in the same recess of him mind.

"You think so too!? I can help people! I can make everyone happy! I can…"

_You don't have to say. I know, but don't forget, you are not atoning for anything. You are innocent. The fact that you wish to make up for my own misdeeds proves not only to me, but the other Sentiences, that you are an admirable young man Luke._

Luke's smile widened at the comment, and he actually laughed when he saw a miniature version of what he could only assume to be Gnome pop up over Lorelei's shoulder. The small brown hamster looking creature carefully crawled down Lorelei's arm and into his palm, which Lorelei then extended out towards Luke.

_Gnome has accepted you from the start, and almost refused to let me seal you from him. He wishes to see you once more, although I doubt you remember him. He kept your suppressed consciousness company, but I don't believe you were conscious at all. Without any understanding of what existing even meant, you were aimlessly floated in the void Van suppressed you into._

Luke's smile faded, like it did every time Lorelei would tell him of the things that happened before he was able to form memories. He didn't like the thought of being created only to have his mind die, from being overshadowed by a more powerful sentience that shared his fonon signature.

But also, Luke was glad it had happened to him. If Van had tried to do anything to Asch, he would track the man down this very instant and kill him.

No, Luke couldn't do that now. He was too weak, and he would put Asch and Guy in danger, and that would never please them. They would be unhappy with him, and then maybe abandon him! Luke wouldn't have it, he had been forced to leave his mother, and he didn't want to leave his only remaining family.

Luke was lost in his thoughts when Gnome quickly distracted him from his rapidly dark turning thoughts. The little earth Sentience took his small shovel and smacked Luke's nose. It was nothing more then a tap, and Gnome was so small and Luke was now so big, but nonetheless, it was enough to awaken the Imposter from his misery.

"I have to thank the real Auldrant Gnome and Sylph then, don't I? I have to thank them for granting me their power without me even knowing who they were, and I have to offer my prayers to both the human's and Imposter's of Auldrant as well. It's my mission now!" Luke cheerfully announced. Gnome, who had shuffled his way to Luke's shoulder, danced cheerfully, wildly swinging his shovel around (although not as wildly to accidentally hit Luke!)

_They would greatly respect you for that. Offering your prayers will only increase the sentience's willingness to aid you in times of great danger, when you are unable to use their strength yourself._

_Both the Gnome and the Sylph you see here and not the real Sentiences, as I am not essentially the real Lorelei. They are a fraction of themselves, their power and strength, which was granted to me when I gained a physical form. Van and I traveled to each of the Sentience's alters, and I offered my prayers as Van commanded, only I didn't pray for peace, I prayed for help, and the Sentience aided their brethren without a second doubt. _

_You will not be so lucky. All the Sentience left you when I awakened your consciousness, and Van struck me down to die. I was ordered not to heal my wounds, but by calling you forth, I could heal you, but I could not do much more. My energy was directed to preserving your fragile mind, and thus the Sentience all left, all but Gnome, who aided me by covering the only evidence of who you once were._

Luke had closed his eyes when Lorelei had drifted to the past once more. Luke then surprised Lorelei by smiling, his eye's opened, revealing their sparkling green irises.

"I'm here to change the world. It may be what I was created for, but I know now, it's what I want to do. I'll speak with each Sentience, I'll pray for the peace with Malkuth, I'll pray for rain and fertile soil, to help grow food, and when my prayers are answered, I'll go out and I'll do what I promised. I'll summon the rain, and I'll bring forth the fertile earth. This is my pact to you, Lorelei. I will deem you atoned, once I have been able to change the world!" Luke smiled, and extended his hand towards the Sentience of which his likeness was formed.

_Also, to make your journey easier, you are the only fonist left in Auldrant, I've removed the ability to use fonons, and the memory of fonists from most of the citizen's minds. You will truly be a miracle, and your work will not go unnoticed._

Lorelei couldn't help but smile at Luke's positive mindset, and agreed to the pact, accepting Luke's hand.

And the world around Luke vanished, and he found himself back with his brother and caretaker, just as he had left things.

Luke let out a laugh, finally glad to have a mission, and a purpose of his own. He was joyous and hopeful, and the feeling soon spread to his companions, who joined him in his laughter, and chased the Imposter through the woods, to their first real destination.

* * *

Tear watched the exchange between her target party. Luke, Asch and Guy were all close, and The Lorelei vessel was easily picking up the control of fonons. She had been able to feel when all her fon slots were closed, and no doubt it was the work of either the Imposter or the Sentience he held within.

It didn't concern her though. Yulia and Jade might be able to answer why it happened, but at the moment, she was armed and ready to take care of any fiends that might attack her on her information gathering mission.

The only thing that did concern Tear was the disabling of her hymns. They were songs said to have been written by Lorelei himself, which enabled humans to have access to the true power of the seventh fonim. Without her hymns, Tear would have a much harder time delivering her report to Yulia in The Order, but there were other options, she just hoped they hadn't been affected by the sudden removal of human fonon use.

Tear quickly followed after the party of three, careful to not make a sound, and to not leave any trails. In her head, she thought of all the questions she would have to send in letters to both Jade and Ion. No doubt Jade would still be able to gain entry to Yulia's chambers, but Tear was unaware of the state of the connection between Ion and Yulia.

She would have to alert Anise as well, the caretaker would have to be present when the two were attempting to connect, in case the disruption of fonons had some impact on their ability to link minds. There was no telling what would happen to Ion's mind, as his brain processing capacity was much lower then Yulia's, although he was a near perfect model.

Tear examined the red haired Imposter far in front of her, and had to remind herself, no Imposter will ever replace a human.

No matter how human they look.

* * *

A/N: I made a stupid horizontal line with the intention of typing below it, and now it's stuck there and I don't know what to do with it. So I guess it's going to stay there. BUT ANYWAY GO VOTE IN THE POLL AND LEAVE ME A TON OF THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO TOMORROW WHEN I GET HOME FROM WORK! Also, I kinda like this boxed in author's note look, but I'm never doing this again. Next time if this happens I'm just reloading the document and starting over.


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